Grandma and Grandpa were getting COVID-19 at kids' birthday parties during the pandemic

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-07-14 01:00

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Grandparents were nearly 10% more likely to get COVID-19 in the week of their grandchildren's birthdays during the pandemic, according to Danish research from 2020-2022 when official advice warned against gathering. Following the theory that children's parties were likely spreader events, the researchers collected data on COVID-19 diagnoses for over a million Danish grandparents and tracked the days before and after their grandchildren's birthdays when they would be most likely to have a party. Overall, the researchers say grandparents were 9.9% more likely to test positive around their grandkids' birthdays, with the risk higher for preschool-aged children compared to school-aged children. Next time we have a major pandemic, the researchers say there should be more emphasis on reducing the risk of culturally important events like these for older people who are more vulnerable.