How does living with children affect adults’ risk for COVID-19 and its outcomes?
During the second wave in England, SARS-CoV-2 infection and related hospital admission (but not ICU admission or death) were slightly elevated among younger adults who lived with children.
As children are less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, often are asymptomatic, and rarely develop severe COVID-19, their role in disease spread is unclear. Researchers in England analysed national data on COVID-19 and individual health status in a study involving >9.3 million adults aged 18 to 65 and almost 2.7 million aged >65. Linked data on household members showed that 37% of younger adults and 3% of older adults lived with children.
During the pandemic's first wave (February–August 2020), COVID-19–related outcomes (infection, hospital admission, ICU admission, and death) were not appreciably increased among adults living with children. During the second wave (September–December 2020), adults aged 65 and younger showed increases in risk for acquiring COVID-19 and COVID-19–related hospital admission. Risks for ICU admission or death did not increase. Among adults older than 65, living with children was associated with significantly elevated risks for COVID-19–related ICU admission and death.
These data indicate that during the second wave of the pandemic in England, children appeared to have a role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. However, the excess risk for COVID-19 among younger adults living with children could be related to other factors; furthermore, the absolute risk increase was modest, and severe disease and death did not occur more frequently than in the first wave. By contrast, older adults living with children were at higher risk for unfavourable COVID-19 outcomes, stressing the importance of their protection and vaccination.
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