(E.J. Mundell/ HealthDay News) — The largest study of its kind finds that children can carry exceedingly high amounts of the new coronavirus, even in the absence of symptoms.
Researchers say that could make them ideal “silent spreaders” of COVID-19, throwing the safety of reopening schools into question.
“If schools were to reopen fully without necessary precautions, it is likely that children will play a larger role in this pandemic,” said study senior author Dr. Alessio Fasano. He directs the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
The study of 192 children and young adults — newborns to 22-year-olds — found that 49 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and another 18 showed symptoms of COVID-19 illness. (…)