Changes in Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction-positive Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Rates in Adults and Children According to the Epidemic Stages

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2020 Nov;39(11):e369-e372. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002861.

Abstract

From March 2, 2020, to April 26, 2020, 52,588 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were performed in France, 6490 in children and 46,098 in adults. The rate of RT-PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 tests for children (5.9%) was always less than that for adults (20.3%) but vary according to the epidemic stage. The risk ratio of RT-PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 tests for adults compared with children was 3.5 (95% confidence interval: 3.2-3.9) for the whole study period.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Betacoronavirus / genetics*
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Child
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology*
  • France / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • SARS-CoV-2