With the news that your pre-schooler can now go back to her Gr R class, you’re no doubt freaking out about her safety as the number of Covid-19 infections continue to spike. You may be wondering just how big the risk is for kids to be infected – even with all the precautions you’ve heard schools have had to put in place.
The good news is that it’s rare.
According to a report from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), children make up less than7% of all reported Covid-19 cases. They’re also less likely to be admitted to intensive care or die from coronavirus, when compared to adults.
They also say that Covid-19 is uncommon in South African children of school-going age, that is children between the ages of 5 and 18. The report also notes that all those children who had contracted the coronavirus, suffered milder symptoms than adults.
Only 3 children between the ages of 0 and 9 have died of the virus in SA.
This seems to be in line with other studies overseas that have found kids are far less likely to get infected with the virus, including a study by economist Emily Oster of Brown University in the US. To date, she’s conducted an informal analysis of 970 childcare centres in the US that have stayed open since the start of the pandemic, and found that of 27 234 children, only 42 have contracted Covid-19.
The exact reason why kids are less at risk from being infected by Covid-19 than adults, why so few cases have been detected in children, and whether that trend will continue is still unclear at this stage. But it’s still important that you, and the teachers at your kid’s nursery school, work together to protect your little ones from infection and help prevent the virus from spreading.
Also Read: Two more children die from Covid-19 in South Africa
According to a report by Dr Aaron Milstone, a paediatrician and an infectious diseases expert at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Centre, “children are exposed to Covid-19 when the virus contacts their eyes, nose, mouth or lungs. This usually occurs when a nearby infected person coughs or sneezes, which releases respiratory droplets into the air and onto the child’s face or nearby surfaces such as tables, food or hands.”
He says the best way to prevent your child from becoming sick with Covid-19 is to avoid exposing her to people who are (or who might be) sick with the virus. “Keep your kids away from crowded areas when possible as well sick people, including family members.”
Learn more about Sonya Naudé.
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