Asymptomatic COVID Study

Study Summary

As community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (virus that causes COVID-19) evolves globally, it becomes increasingly important to identify, quantify and track pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as to understand transmission dynamics that include the risk to family members. Generally, children experience milder symptoms then adults and many do not experience symptoms even when infected with SARS-CoV02.

Children across 16 participating sites younger than 18 years of age who present to an Emergency Department and who undergo testing for SARS-CoV-2 as part of local surveillance programs will be enrolled in the study. Development of any COVID-19 like symptoms by household members, as well as the tested child, along with ongoing SARS-CoV-2 status of all household members will be tracked over a period of 3 weeks.

Information obtained from this study will be shared in real-time with policy and decision makers to assist with policy and decision making related to transmission risk posed by pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic children to household contacts and communities (adults and children) as they return to school.

Objectives

1. To determine household transmission and secondary infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 due to presymptomatic/asymptomatic children
2. To learn more about risk factors for asymptomatic infection of SARS-CoV-2 (travel, hand-washing, non-isolation behaviours, etc.)
3. To determine the viral load (how much of the virus is present) in children who are presymptomatic/asymptomatically infected with SARS-CoV-2

Principal Study Investigator: Dr. Stephen Freedman

Project Lead: Alissa Kazakoff

Study Team: Dr. Anna Funk, Dr. Nathan Kuppermann, Dr. Todd Florin, Dr. Antonia Stang, Dr. James Kellner, Dr. Xiao-Li Pang, Dr. Byron Berenger, Dr.  Salah Mahmud, Dr. Daniel Payne, Dr. Maria Salvadori, Dr. Richard Malley, Dr. Terry Klassen, Dr. Mark Neuman, Dr .Daniel Tancredi, Dr. Bonita Lee  in collaboration with site investigators from the PERC and PEMCRC network