Isolating children is not the answer to COVID-19
We have read with interest the paper by Lin et al [1], since there
is still little information on how COVID-19 develops in children.
After analyzing it, we have the impression that some of the conclusions
can be considered somewhat risky.
In the case report presented by Lin, we did not find conclusive evidence
to affirm without doubts, that the father was infected by his daughter.
The father could have been infected 7 days earlier in Taiyuan, Shanxi
province, or 6 days earlier on the bus to Xiangyang, Hubei.
On the other hand, recommending extending quarantine periods based on
the observation of a single case seems, at least, somewhat hasty.
While we understand the anxiety of our Chinese colleagues in dealing
with a hitherto unknown disease, considering the information now
available we must be more cautious.
The advantages and disadvantages of social quarantines have been the
subject of lively discussions that transcend the field of public health.
The effects of massives lockdowns on the world’s economies remain to be
seen.
Furthermore, the effects of prolonged quarantines on children in
societies used to freedom are yet to be measured, but they will surely
have a striking impact.
Every day new evidence appears indicating that children are not as
dangerous as they seemed, as a vehicle for this infection [2]
At this time of looking for answers, more than ever we have to be
cautious when making recommendations for a disease that affects millions
of people, based on just one case.