Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine In The News

A case study published by Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, and colleagues describes a longer lasting infection in children with compromised immune systems. The SARS-CoV-2 virus tends to mutate one to two times a month. According to Dr. Dien Bard, a prolonged infection may allow the virus to mutate and produce multiple variants, some of which could be more infectious. The story was covered by The Washington Post and HealthDay.

Genetically Sequencing Every SARS-CoV-2 Sample is Critical (read Washington Post article)

In this article, Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, provides expert opinion on the importance of sequencing coronavirus mutations in children. The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has been sequencing every positive sample of the coronavirus, including samples from patients and the community. Using these data, CHLA scientists were able to show that early travel restrictions in states such as California and Washington successfully reduced the spread of the virus in the early months of the pandemic.

Children Carry Significant Amounts of Coronavirus Variants (read Reuters article)

Reuters article showing that children, who at the time of the study were still ineligible for the vaccine, may carry multiple variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The findings underscore the importance of continued genomic monitoring of the virus in pediatric populations.

Testing has always been a critical part of tracing the virus. As rapid tests became available, Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, offered expert opinion in multiple New York Times articles.

COVID-19 Testing Was Not Well Studied in Children

This New York Times article highlights the fact that COVID-19 tests were administered to children despite the lack of data. Dr. Dien Bard cautions that we cannot rely on testing alone in children, as the viral load may not be indicative of whether or not a child is contagious.

In another New York Times piece about the feasibility of saliva tests, Dr. Dien Bard discusses the fact that saliva tests may be difficult to interpret and may come with challenges that may not make them optimal for at-home testing.

As the 2020 flu season approached, experts worried that COVID-19 testing would experience significant delays due to the arrival of seasonal viruses, affecting the nation’s testing efforts. Dr. Dien Bard gave an expert opinion to the New York Times about laboratories not having time and resources to develop new tests.