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Infants Younger Than 6 Months Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Show the Highest Respiratory Viral Loads

Valeria Ochoa1, Fernando Erra Díaz1, Ezequiel Ramirez1

  • 1Universidad de Buenos Aires-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|December 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Infants under 6 months had higher severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral loads than other age groups. This finding suggests infants may play a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Limited data exists on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection characteristics in infants.
  • Previous studies often grouped infants with older children, masking age-specific differences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare SARS-CoV-2 viral loads across different age groups, with a focus on infants.
  • To understand the potential role of infants in the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 45,318 SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal swab samples from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Comparison of viral loads between infants (under 6 months), older children (over 6 months), and adults.

Main Results:

  • Infants younger than 6 months exhibited significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 viral loads compared to all other age groups.
  • Children older than 6 months demonstrated viral loads comparable to those observed in adults.
  • Adults presented lower viral loads than infants.

Conclusions:

  • Infants under 6 months may represent a distinct demographic in SARS-CoV-2 infection, with potentially higher transmission capabilities.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific role of infants in the epidemiology and spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords:
192COVIDCoVSARSchildrenviral load

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