Pupils rarely transmitted COVID-19 to others, according to Norwegian study
Children in primary school very rarely pass the virus on to others, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
"Our Corona Child Study shows that the rate of transmission from children to children and from children to adults is very low," says senior researcher Brita Askeland Winje at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
The study assessed 292 school related contacts from 13 children that tested positive for COVID-19 in Norway. The children's contacts were mapped thoroughly. The people they came into contact with while attending school were tested twice.
The results indicate that the children did not pass the virus on to others. Only 2 of the 234 children and 1 of the 58 faculty members that came into contact with the infected pupils, later tested positive for Covid-19.
These cases may or may not be related to their contact with the pupils in the study, according to the researchers.
"These are important findings when you consider the debate about school shutdowns and putting children into quarantine," says Winje.
Reference:
Lin T. Brandal et al. «Minimal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from paediatric COVID-19 cases in primary schools, Norway, August to November 2020» Eurosurveillance, 2020. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.26.1.2002011
