Characteristics of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection and potential evidence for persistent fecal viral shedding

Abstract

We report epidemiological and clinical investigations on ten pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection cases confirmed by real-time reverse transcription PCR assay of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Symptoms in these cases were nonspecific and no children required respiratory support or intensive care. Chest X-rays lacked definite signs of pneumonia, a defining feature of the infection in adult cases. Notably, eight children persistently tested positive on rectal swabs even after nasopharyngeal testing was negative, raising the possibility of fecal-oral transmission. Children infected with the COVID-19 outbreak coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, show mild symptoms but prolonged shedding of viral RNA in feces, suggesting that the fecal-oral route might play a role in virus transmission.