The result of the new study suggests that kids can carry the virus in their respiratory tracts like the noses and throats for weeks even if they do not show any symptoms.

Children
(Photo : Unsplash)

The newly published research in JAMA Pediatrics journal might explain why kids are described as silent spreaders of the virus. Little is known why many kids remain not to experience cough, sore throats, and fever but tested positive for the virus. 

Researchers in South Korea reported on Friday that kids could carry the virus in their noses and sore throats for weeks, which might explain why they are the virus's silent spreaders. This was released following the increase of children who tested positive for COVID-19. 

The researchers wrote in the study, "In this case series study, inapparent infections in children may have been associated with silent COVID-19 transmission in the community," This means that the local transmission could be coming from children who are not showing any signs of the virus.

Dr. Roberta DeBiasi and Dr. Meghan Delaney, both of Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, wrote in an accompanying editorial. "Interestingly, this study aligns with adult data in which up to 40% of adults may remain asymptomatic in the face of infection," Both of them are not involved in the study.

Dr. DeBiasi and Dr. Delaney said that the new study's authors estimated that 85 or 93 percent of infected children would have been missed using a testing strategy focused on testing of symptomatic patients alone. Most especially that the CDC guidelines for virus testing was changed 

The study is very timely as well after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines. After it, the agency was criticized for changing its guidelines on asymptomatic testing. The American Academy of Pediatrics called the action a dangerous step backward. 

According to the updated CDC guidelines, some people who do not have any symptoms even though they are exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 may not need to be tested. The newly published research opposed those guidelines and only showed that persons should be tested for COVID-19 if exposed to someone who has the virus. 

AAP President Dr. Sally Goza said in the statement, "We know that children often show few or no symptoms of COVID-19. We also know they are not immune to this virus, and they can become very sick."

She also added, "Testing exposed individuals who may not yet show symptoms of COVID-19 is crucial to contact tracing, which helps identify and support other people who are at risk of infection." 

Meanwhile, DeBiasi and Delaney also wrote that the study suggests that children mild and moderately affected children remain symptomatic for a long period. 

This is very alarming most, especially if children will not get tested for the virus. Children may go unnoticed either with or without symptoms and continue on their usual activities, which can later cause virus local transmission. 

Check these out!