Latest Research Reveals Kids Are Half as Susceptible to Get and Transmit Coronavirus

No one is safe from COVID-19. The virus does not look at age, gender, or race before attacking your immune system- although some may be more susceptible to the disease than others due to underlying health conditions. While the effect of the virus on different age groups remained at the forefront of the corona-led debate, recent studies have discovered that children seem to be affected by the coronavirus less frequently.

Shutterstock | Health scares caused parents to lock children indoors

The New Model

A study conducted by Israeli researchers found that children are more than half as likely as adults to succumb to the virus. Published in the PLOS Computational Biology journal on 11th February, the study also reports people under 20 to be less likely to transmit the virus.

By and large, evidence has underlined the different manners in which coronavirus affects kids and young adults. Lower infection rates, transmission rates, and milder symptoms are prevalent features of the difference, to name a few.

What the New Model Discovered

Transmission data of 637 homes in Bnei Brak, Israel, were evaluated by the researchers, all of which received PCR testing, while some were given antibody tests. The findings were collected and correlated to COVID-19’s overall infection and transmission rate to deduce that 43% of kids are susceptible to the disease when compared to adults. Transferring the virus, additionally, is 63% less likely through children.

Furthermore, even if children have the virus, positive PCR tests are unlikely to be achieved, which basically searches for the virus’s genetic material within the body. That is perhaps why kids globally have a lower diagnosis rate.

Shutterstock | PCR tests mostly come out negative for kids

Pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Dr. R. Hamilton, also revealed that children globally accounted for less than 3% of coronavirus cases and needed hospitalization even less frequently.

Why Does COVID-19 Not Affect Kids as Much?

CEO of PainCareLabs and Medical College of Georgia’s clinical associate professor, Dr. Amy Baxter, reveals that underdeveloped sinus until the age of 12 is the reason why kids are less affected by the virus. The nasopharynx is where the virus duplicates.

Additionally, the SARS-Cov-2 virus has to be inhaled nasally and then turned into COVID-19 within the body after latching onto ACE2 receptors. However, some scientific evidence suggests that kids don’t possess many of these receptors.

Shutterstock | Attending schools isn’t as big a scare anymore

To Conclude

Infectious disease specialists reveal that there are many factors that seemingly protect kids from the virus, such as underdeveloped sinuses, immunity to seasonal coronaviruses, and fewer comorbidities. These specialists also conclude that the benefits of sending kids to school in light of this new information outweigh the risks of contracting the virus.