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Epidemiological characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants in children over the four COVID-19 waves and correlation with

Claudia Alteri1,2, Rossana Scutari1,2, Valentino Costabile1

  • 1Multimodal Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Scientific Reports
|June 17, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Children aged 12 and under showed significant circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants during the pandemic. Younger children and higher viral loads were linked to increased local transmission, but COVID-19 severity did not correlate with specific variants.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Children under 12 were considered underrepresented in SARS-CoV-2 infection frequency and severity.
  • Understanding transmission dynamics in pediatric populations is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and clinical features in children aged 12 and under.
  • To investigate the correlation between different SARS-CoV-2 lineages, transmission, and clinical manifestations in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Correlational analysis of SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics.
  • Evaluation of clinical and virological features in 612 pediatric patients.
  • Analysis across four pandemic waves.

Main Results:

  • Significant circulation of diverse SARS-CoV-2 lineages was observed in children aged 12 and under.
  • Local transmission chains sustained variant circulation.
  • Age under 5, higher viral load, and Gamma/Delta variants positively influenced local transmission.
  • No significant correlation between COVID-19 manifestations and lineages/transmission chains, except for a negative correlation between the B.1.1.7 lineage and hospitalization.

Conclusions:

  • SARS-CoV-2 variants circulated widely in children, driven by local transmission.
  • Younger children and specific variants like Gamma and Delta were associated with increased transmission.
  • While variants influenced transmission, they did not strongly correlate with COVID-19 severity in this pediatric cohort, with B.1.1.7 showing a protective association against hospitalization.

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