COVID-19 Infection and Transmission in Exposed, Confined and Community-based Infants
COVID-19 Infection and Transmission in Exposed, Confined and Community-based Infants
According to epidemiological models, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in
 Île-de-France as of 11 May was between 10 and 15%. Preliminary data on the number of
 professionals evicted from nurseries on suspicion of COVID-19 (on clinical grounds) seem to
 be of the same order of magnitude, but need to be confirmed by a biological technique.
 Children would be susceptible to infection but often asymptomatic.
SARS-CoV-2, an emerging respiratory virus of the coronavirus family, is responsible for a
 global pandemic of which Europe has become the epicentre. Infection with the virus causes a
 disease called COVID-19, whose expression most often includes cough, fever, fatigue, myalgia,
 anosmia, ageusia and gastrointestinal symptoms, and which can be complicated by severe
 pneumonia requiring resuscitation and which can lead to death. Morbidity and mortality are
 clearly age-related and while illness and hospitalisations occur in all age groups, deaths
 occur mostly in the older age groups.

 In the absence of curative treatment and vaccination, the only real measures capable of
 slowing the progression of the disease are large-scale social distancing measures. In analogy
 to community-based viral epidemics such as seasonal influenza, children were initially
 considered a potential vector of transmission, which led to the preventive measure of school
 closures. In France, this closure came into force on 14 March 2020.

 Children are considered to be little affected by the coronavirus-19 epidemic because even if
 screening strategies differ, they represent less than 3% of the cases confirmed in the
 various studies.

 In a period of confinement and reduction in the number of children cared for, in a crèche for
 children of healthcare workers, in a context of proximity and high risk of cross
 transmission, the frequency of symptomatic and asymptomatic forms of SARS-Cov-2 in children
 and staff would be comparable to the general population.

 We hypothesize a susceptibility to infection in children but low transmission, which should
 lead to a cumulative prevalence of infection among daycare staff comparable to that obtained
 in a sample of professionals who do not come into contact with children in their work (here
 hospital laboratory and administrative staff).
Inclusion Criteria:

 Population 1 :

 -  Children of priority staff welcomed in the crèche during the period of confinement,
 i.e. from 15 March to 9 May, regardless of the length of time they are in the crèche
 during this period and their "symptomatic or not" status during this period or on the
 day of inclusion.

 -  Consent of the holders of parental authority

 -  Affiliated to a social security system or entitled person

 Population 2 :

 -  Nursery staff, regardless of their status/occupation and having had contact with the
 children during the period of confinement regardless of how long they have been in the
 nursery during this period and their "symptomatic or not" status during this period or
 on the day of inclusion.

 -  Consent to participate

 -  Affiliated to a social security system or entitled person

 Population 3 :

 -  Hospital staff not exposed to patients and/or children, with or without children in
 day care, working in the bacteriology, biochemistry and biological haematology
 laboratories or in an administrative department of the participating hospitals.

 -  Affiliated to a social security system or entitled person

 Exclusion Criteria:

 Population 1 :

 -  Refusal to sign consent by parents

 -  Clinical condition requiring urgent medical assessment (attending physician or
 transfer to paediatric emergency)

 Population 2 and 3 :

 -  Refusal to sign consent for staff

 -  Clinical condition requiring urgent medical evaluation