Longitudinal testing for respiratory and gastrointestinal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in day care centres in Hesse, Germany

Abstract Background With the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 ongoing in Europe in June of 2020, day care centres were reopened in the state of Hesse, Germany, after the lockdown. The role young children play in the dynamics of the transmission was unknown. Methods We conducted a longitudinal study over a period of 12 weeks and two days (18 th of June 2020 to 10 th of September, 2020) to screen attendees and staff from day care centres in the state of Hesse, Germany, for both respiratory and gastrointestinal shedding of SARS-CoV-2. 859 children (age range 3 months to 8 years) and 376 staff members from 50 day care centres, which were chosen representatively from throughout the state, participated in the study. Parents were asked to perform both a buccal mucosa and an anal swab on their children once a week. Staff were asked to self-administer the swabs. RT-PCRs for SARS-CoV-2 were performed in a multiple-swab pooling protocol. Results 7,366 buccal mucosa swabs and 5,907 anal swabs were analysed. No respiratory or gastrointestinal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in any of the children. Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 could be detected in two staff members from distinct day care centres. One was asymptomatic at the time of testing, and one was symptomatic and did not attend the facility on that day. Conclusion Detection of either respiratory or gastrointestinal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in children and staff members attending day care centres was rare in the context of limited community activity and with infection prevention measures in the facilities in place.