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Objectives To improve understanding of transition from viral infection to viral clearance, and antibody response in pediatric patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Study design This retrospective analysis of children tested for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunoglobulin G antibody at a quaternary-care, free-standing pediatric hospital between March 13, 2020, and June 21, 2020, included 6369 patients who underwent PCR testing and 215 patients who underwent antibody testing. During the initial study period, testing focused primarily on symptomatic children; the later study period included asymptomatic patients who underwent testing as preadmission or preprocedural screening. We report the proportion of positive and negative tests, time to viral clearance, and time to seropositivity. Results The rate of positivity varied over time due to viral circulation in the community and transition from targeted testing of symptomatic patients to more universal screening of hospitalized patients. Median duration of viral shedding (RT-PCR positivity) was 19.5 days and time from RT-PCR positivity to negativity was 25 days. Of note, patients aged 6 through 15 years demonstrated a longer time of RT-PCR positivity to negativity, compared with patients aged 16 through 22 years (median 32 vs 18 days, P = .015). Median time to seropositivity, by chemiluminescent testing, from RT-PCR positivity was 18 days, whereas median time to reach adequate levels of neutralizing antibodies (defined as comparable with 160 titer by plaque reduction neutralization testing) was 36 days. Conclusions The majority of patients demonstrated a prolonged period of viral shedding after infection with SARS CoV-2. It is unknown whether this correlates with persistent infectivity. Only 17 of 33 patients demonstrated adequate neutralizing antibodies during the time frame of specimen collection. It remains unknown whether immunoglobulin G antibody against spike structured proteins correlates with immunity, and how long antibodies and potential protection persist.

Acidosis caused by intestinal bacterial D-lactate production occurs in ruminants engorged with carbohydrate. A similar phenomenon was identified in two children who developed recurrent episodes of metabolic acidosis and peculiar neurologic symptoms in response to increased dietary carbohydrate after major small bowel resections. Both children were found to have elevated plasma concentrations of D-lactic acid at the time of each episode. Acid base and neurologic abnormalities responded immediately to neomycin therapy. Among a number of microorganisms isolated from stool cultures of these patients, one anaerobic Lactobacillus acidophilus species produced large amounts of D-lactate in vitro. Reduction in carbohydrate intake in one patient tested led to a fall in D-lactate generation. We believe that excessive D-lactate production by intestinal bacteria, from malabsorbed carbohydrate, may produce metabolic acidosis and neurologic symptoms in children with small bowel resections.

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