Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Testing Trends Among Persons Aged <18 Years in an Outpatient Pediatric Practice — Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, May–December 2020

Miller, Maureen J.; Dasgupta, Sharoda; Ruffin, Jasmine; Colton, Kevin; King, David; Tate, Jacqueline E.; Kirking, Hannah L.; Bryant, Bobbi; Hennesy, Nora; Plata, Zuwena; Nakayama, Jasmine Y.; Tanner, Mary R.; Koyuncu, Aybüke; Rabold, Elizabeth

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing and test positivity among persons aged <18 years in a three-site outpatient pediatric practice in Atlanta, Georgia, serving approximately 35,000 pediatric patients. METHODS: Using electronic medical records, weekly trends in SARS-CoV-2 tests performed and the 14-day moving average of test positivity were examined, overall and by age group, during May 24–December 5, 2020. RESULTS: Among 4,995 patients who received at least 1 SARS-CoV-2 test, 6,813 total tests were completed. Overall test positivity was 5.4% and was higher among older pediatric patients (<5 years: 3.3%; 5–11 years: 4.1%; 12–17 years: 8.6%). The number of tests and test positivity increased after holidays and school breaks. CONCLUSIONS: Families might benefit from communication focused on reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission during holidays. In addition, given higher test positivity in children aged 12–17 years, tailoring public health messaging to older adolescents could help limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in this population.