TORONTO: More than one-third of kids infected with the novel coronavirus are asymptomatic, according to a study which confirms that children diagnosed with Covid-19 may represent just a fraction of those infected.
The research, published in the journal CMAJ, analysed results for 2,463 children in Alberta, Canada, who were tested during the first wave of the pandemic — March to September — for Covid-19 infection. Of the 2,463 children, 1,987 had a positive test result for Covid-19 and 476 had a negative result, and of those who tested positive, 714 — about 36 per cent —reported being asymptomatic.
The researchers also found that cough, runny nose and sore throat were three of the most common symptoms among children with Covid-19 infection — showing up in 25, 19 and 16 per cent of cases respectively.