Community – based test sites were critical in reducing exposure to the COVID-19 virus

A new study looking at child test results for COVID-19 through a community-based test site in the National Children’s Hospital community found that one in four tested positive.

The findings, reported online Dec. 18 in The Journal of Pediatrics, affirm that children and young adults are more affected by the virus than originally thought, and that an ongoing understanding of their role in the release of COVID-19 is essential for control get the virus.

Of the 1,445 patients tested at a sample collection site for SARS-CoV-2 virus between March 21 and May 16, 2020, the median age was 8 years, and more than 34% of patients were advanced Hispanic, and then non-Hispanic. White black and non-Hispanic. The daily confirmation rate increased over the study period, from 5.4% in the first week to a high of 47.4% in May. Children and adolescents were sent to the test site due to exposure risk or mild symptoms.

We knew that community-based test sites were critical in reducing the risk of exposure to other patients and healthcare workers, maintaining PPE, centralizing sample collection services, reducing overcrowding of high care sites and informing our community of the burden of this disease. “

Joelle Simpson, MD, Medical Director of Emergency Preparedness, National Children’s Hospital

Driving / walking up test sites outside of a traditional intensive care setting have emerged worldwide to meet the need to diagnose individuals who are ill or asymptomatic. In March, the National Children ‘s Hospital opened a drive / walk – up area – one of the first pediatric test sites for the virus in the U.S. – where primary care physicians in the Washington, DC area, young patients referred for COVID -19 sample collection and testing.

“Initially, children were not the target of testing campaigns, but it is clear that making testing available with early pediatric patients was an important part of the pandemic response,” said Meghan Delaney, DO, MPH, head of Pathology Medicine and National Children’s Laboratory. “Not only do children get a serious infection, they can also be part of positive reactions with the adults they live with. The experience we gained from testing is thousands of of children over the pandemic has provided key information. “

Compared with non-Hispanic white children and after changes for age, sex and distance of residence from the sample collection site, smaller children were more likely to become infected.

“We wanted to identify the characteristics of children tested at this site that did not require intensive medical care and be able to compare demographic and clinical differences between patients who tested positive and negative for COVID-19 , “said Dr. Simpson.

Patients with COVID-19 exposure and symptoms were more likely to receive a positive test than patients without symptoms. This supports contact detection for symbolic and test cases as an important tool in detecting and integrating community distribution, according to the findings of the study. Although the majority of patients were referred because they lived with a family member at high risk for exposure or infection, this was not related to positive test results.

“The impact of this virus is widespread and affects planning for children, particularly as schools and childcare centers are working to reopen,” says Dr Simpson. guidance to control the chronic pandemic, we need to better understand the transmission potential of children and young adults who are very symbolic or good. “