Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in a Pediatric Orthopedic Hospital

Bardai, G.; Ouellet, J. A.; Engelhardt, T.; Bertolizio, G.; Wu, Z.; Rauch, F.

This project assessed the prevalence of active and past infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a specialized pediatric institution that did not provide care for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). The study was performed in Montreal, the city with the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Canada during the early phase of the pandemic. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 199 individuals (39 children, 61 accompanying persons, 99 hospital employees) did not reveal active infection in any of the study participants. However, 22 (11%) of study participants had SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, indicating prior infection. Ten of these participants did not report symptoms compatible with Covid-19 in the 6 months prior to the study. Thus, although no evidence for active infection was found within the institution, consideration should be given to regular staff testing to detect asymptomatic spreading of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, it could be useful to test accompanying persons in children presenting for surgical procedures.