Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children and Adolescents Compared With Adults
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Russell M. Viner, PhD1; Oliver T. Mytton, PhD2; Chris Bonell, PhD3; et al G. J. Melendez-Torres, PhD4; Joseph Ward, MBBS1; Lee Hudson, PhD1; Claire Waddington, DPhil5; James Thomas, PhD6; Simon Russell, PhD1; Fiona van der Klis, PhD7; Archana Koirala, MBChB8; Shamez Ladhani, MD9; Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, PhD10; Nicholas G. Davies, DPhil3; Robert Booy, MD8; Rosalind M. Eggo, PhD3
Author Affiliations Article Information
JAMA Pediatr. Published online September 25, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.4573
Abstract
Importance The degree to which children and adolescents are infected by and transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. The role of children and adolescents in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is dependent on susceptibility, symptoms, viral load, social contact patterns, and behavior.
Objective To systematically review the susceptibility to and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among children and adolescents compared with adults.