Epidemiological characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants in children over the four COVID-19 waves and correlation with clinical presentation
Claudia Alteri, Rossana Scutari, Valentino Costabile, Luna Colagrossi, Katia Yu La Rosa, Emanuele Agolini, Valentina Lanari, Sara Chiurchiù, Lorenza Romani, Anna Hermine Markowich, Paola Bernaschi, Cristina Russo, Antonio Novelli, Stefania Bernardi, Andrea Campana, Alberto Villani, Carlo Federico Perno
Abstract
Since the start of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, children aged ≤ 12 years have always been defined as underrepresented in terms of SARS-CoV-2 infections' frequency and severity. By correlating SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics with clinical and virological features in 612 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients aged ≤ 12 years, we demonstrated a sizeable circulation of different SARS-CoV-2 lineages over the four pandemic waves in paediatric population, sustained by local transmission chains. Age < 5 years, highest viral load, gamma and delta clades positively influence this local transmission. No correlations between COVID-19 manifestations and lineages or transmission chains are seen, except for a negative correlation between B.1.1.7 and hospitalization.