NIH to study COVID-19 infection rate in U.S. children

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, is enrolling 2,000 U.S. families in a study to help determine the COVID-19 infection rate in U.S. children and their family members, and the share of infected children who develop symptoms. The families will participate in the study remotely by mailing nasal swab samples for laboratory analysis and completing online questionnaires.

“One interesting feature of this novel coronavirus pandemic is that very few children have become sick with COVID-19 compared to adults,” said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, M.D. “Is this because children are resistant to infection with SARS-CoV-2, or because they are infected but do not develop symptoms?”

The researchers also hope to clarify whether people with asthma or other allergic conditions are less susceptible to infection and severe disease, as preliminary evidence suggests.