"Children in pre-kindergarten and elementary school showed highest rates of virus detection compared with older students and staff, according to research published in the journal Pediatrics. Young children can have up to 10 respiratory viruses a year as their immune systems are introduced to different infections for the first time, said Dr. Jennifer Goldman, a pediatrician at Children's Mercy hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, who co-led the study."
"Goldman and her colleagues analyzed nasal swabs and symptom reports from more than 800 students and staff in a large school district in Kansas City from November 2022 to May 2023. They found that overall, more than 85% of all participants had at least one respiratory virus detected during that time and more than 80% had an episode of acute respiratory illness though not necessarily at the same time."
Nasal swabs and symptom reports were collected from more than 800 students and staff in a large Kansas City school district from November 2022 to May 2023. Overall, more than 85% of participants had at least one respiratory virus detected and more than 80% experienced an episode of acute respiratory illness. Detection rates were highest in pre-kindergarten and elementary children, with 92% having a virus detected, compared with about 86% of middle school, 77% of high school students and 76% of staff. Pre-K children ages 3 to 5 had the highest illness rates. Rhinovirus appeared in 65% of participants, seasonal coronaviruses in about 30%, and SARS-CoV-2 in about 15%. Young children can acquire up to ten respiratory viruses annually as immune systems encounter infections.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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