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Meyer M, Holfter A, Ruebsteck E, Gruell H, Dewald F, Koerner RW, Klein F, Lehmann C, Huenseler C, Weber LT. The Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2 in Children: First Experience from 3544 Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests in a Cohort of Children in Germany. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081600. [PMID: 34452464 PMCID: PMC8402740 DOI: 10.3390/v13081600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In May 2021, the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2 was found in 91% of the SARS-CoV-2 cases in Germany. Not much is known about the symptoms, courses of disease, and infectiousness in pediatric patients with the Alpha variant. Objective: The aim of this retrospective analysis was to gain information on the infection with the Alpha variant in children and adolescents. Methods: Between 12 January 2021 and 3 June 2021, all nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) of children who received a swab for SARS-CoV-2 were included. Data were collected on standardized questionnaires. The analysis of data was anonymized and retrospective. Results: We investigated 3544 NAATs; 95 children were tested positive (2.7%) for SARS-CoV-2. For the sub-analysis, 65 children were analyzed. In 59 children, the Alpha variant was found (90.8%), and 54.2% (n = 32/59) were symptomatic. The most common symptoms were fever, cough, and rhinitis. The median Ct value was 24.0 (min 17.0; max 32.7). Conclusions: We can underline early findings that children are still less effected by SARS-CoV-2 infection with the spread of the Alpha variant. We found no evidence that children infected with the Alpha variant showed more severe symptoms or suffered from a more severe clinical course than those infected with the wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Meyer
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (E.R.); (R.W.K.); (C.H.); (L.T.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-221-478-42128
| | - Anna Holfter
- Departement of Pediatrics, Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Rheydt, 41239 Moenchengladbach, Germany;
| | - Esra Ruebsteck
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (E.R.); (R.W.K.); (C.H.); (L.T.W.)
| | - Henning Gruell
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (H.G.); (F.D.); (F.K.)
| | - Felix Dewald
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (H.G.); (F.D.); (F.K.)
| | - Robert Walter Koerner
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (E.R.); (R.W.K.); (C.H.); (L.T.W.)
| | - Florian Klein
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (H.G.); (F.D.); (F.K.)
| | - Clara Lehmann
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany;
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christoph Huenseler
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (E.R.); (R.W.K.); (C.H.); (L.T.W.)
| | - Lutz Thorsten Weber
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (E.R.); (R.W.K.); (C.H.); (L.T.W.)
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