Children With COVID-19 May Be Less Contagious Than Adults, Two UK Epidemiologists Say

A student walks inside a francophone primary school during its reopening in Jumet, as a small part of Belgian children head back to their schools with new rules and social distancing measures, during the outbreak of the CCP virus in Jumet, Belgium, on May 18, 2020. Yves Herman/Reuters

LONDON—There are tentative signs that children may not spread the CCP virus as much as adults, two top epidemiologists said on May 19, though they cautioned that the bad news was that human immunity may not last that long.

As Europe and the United States start to return to work after lockdowns imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, world leaders are trying to work out when it is safe for children and students to get back to their studies.