Changes in Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction–positive Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Rates in Adults and Children According to the Epidemic Stages
Corinne Lévy, Romain Basmaci, Philippe Bensaïd, Cécile Bost Bru, Edeline Coinde, Emmanuelle Dessioux, Cécile Fournial, Jean Gashignard, H. Haas, Véronique Hentgen, Frédéric Huet, Muriel Lalande, A. Martinot, Charlotte Pons, Anne Sophie Romain, Nicoleta Ursulescu, F. Vié le Sage, Josette Raymond, Stéphane Béchet, Julie Toubiana, Robert Cohen
Abstract
From March 2, 2020, to April 26, 2020, 52,588 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were performed in France, 6490 in children and 46,098 in adults. The rate of RT-PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 tests for children (5.9%) was always less than that for adults (20.3%) but vary according to the epidemic stage. The risk ratio of RT-PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 tests for adults compared with children was 3.5 (95% confidence interval: 3.2-3.9) for the whole study period.