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Children are more likely to contract the new strain of the new coronavirus than any previous one, experts say | Photo credit: iStock Images
New Delhi: Just when we could see the light at the end of the tunnel called the COVID-19 pandemic as the new year approached, a new mutated strain of the novel coronavirus was recently reported from the UK, which has concerned medical professionals, researchers. and the general public. While there is no evidence that the strain is more contagious than previous ones, or that it can cause a more fatal infection, doubts about current treatment methods and vaccines that work to prevent the new strain of virus persist in the minds of people all over the world. .
While there are several similarities and differences between the new virus strain and the old ones, one finding definitely stands out.
Children may be at higher risk of contracting the new variant of the mutated coronavirus than any previous strain
According to UK government sources, children are at higher risk of contracting the newly mutated strain of the novel coronavirus than any previous strain. According to Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London and a member of the NERVTAG advisory group No. 10, “there was a ‘hint’ that children, who had hardly been affected by the pandemic until now, were more susceptible to the mutation. “Daily Mail reported.
According to the report, the professor said that the high infection rate reported among children when schools reopened in November could also be due to the new variant of the virus, as children are at high risk.
Researchers believe the new strain of the virus, which is reported to be 50 to 70 percent more infectious, but they do not believe it is more deadly or cause more serious illness in adults or children.
While Professor Furguson said more research and evidence is needed to test the theory, there is still a prominent hypothesis.
The number of cases of the new variant in children under the age of 15 is reportedly significantly higher from a statistical point of view.
In a virtual press conference organized today by the Science Media Center, Professor Furguson said: “There is a hint that it has a higher propensity to infect children. That might explain some of the differences, but we haven’t established any kind of causality. “
Other experts also said the data is preliminary and no proof of causation has yet been found.
The first two samples of the new mutated virus strain were collected on September 20 in Kent and another the following day in London.
In December, there were over 1,000 cases in almost 60 different local authorities in England, although the actual number is likely to be higher.
The new strain has been found predominantly in the south-east of England, in Kent and London.
So far, children have not reported too many cases of COVID-19. This is believed to be due to the low number of ACE2 receptors present on your cells.
“The earlier virus had a harder time binding to ACE2 and entering cells, and therefore adults, who have abundant ACE2 in their nose and throat, were easy targets and children were difficult to infect. The newer virus is easier to do that and therefore children are perhaps equally susceptible to this virus as adults, ”explained one expert.
“Given their mixing patterns, it is to be expected that more children will be infected. It is not because the virus is specifically targeting children, but it is now less inhibited, “he added.
