Scientific Reports (Jun 2022)

Epidemiological characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants in children over the four COVID-19 waves and correlation with clinical presentation

  • Claudia Alteri,
  • Rossana Scutari,
  • Valentino Costabile,
  • Luna Colagrossi,
  • Katia Yu La Rosa,
  • Emanuele Agolini,
  • Valentina Lanari,
  • Sara Chiurchiù,
  • Lorenza Romani,
  • Anna Hermine Markowich,
  • Paola Bernaschi,
  • Cristina Russo,
  • Antonio Novelli,
  • Stefania Bernardi,
  • Andrea Campana,
  • Alberto Villani,
  • Carlo Federico Perno

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14426-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract Since the start of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, children aged ≤ 12 years have always been defined as underrepresented in terms of SARS-CoV-2 infections’ frequency and severity. By correlating SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics with clinical and virological features in 612 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients aged ≤ 12 years, we demonstrated a sizeable circulation of different SARS-CoV-2 lineages over the four pandemic waves in paediatric population, sustained by local transmission chains. Age < 5 years, highest viral load, gamma and delta clades positively influence this local transmission. No correlations between COVID-19 manifestations and lineages or transmission chains are seen, except for a negative correlation between B.1.1.7 and hospitalization.