Since the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, researchers have tried to discover the impact children have when it comes to spreading the virus. It was first established that younger people are spared from a serious infection compared to older ones, and very few children lose their lives as a result of the infection.
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Sick young woman lying tired in bed wearing a face mask and holding her head due to a headache.
However, it has been determined that children can be asymptomatic spreaders, infecting others despite showing no symptoms. Now, a new study on how contagious children are and at what age they can transmit the virus at the same rate as adults.
According to new South Korean research published in the journal of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Emerging infectious diseases, Children between the ages of 10 and 19 have the ability to spread COVID-19 within a home at the same rate as adults.. Children under the age of 10 can also transmit the virus, but the rate at which they do so is significantly lower.
Children are more likely to infect others
The researchers analyzed 59,073 contacts from 5,706 coronavirus patients who detected COVID-19 in 11.8% of 10,592 household contacts and 1.9% of 48,481 non-household contacts. They found that when patient 0 was under the age of 10, 5.3% of household contacts tested positive. However, when that patient was 10-19, the percentage increased threefold to 18.6%.
“The rates were higher for contacts than children than adults,” the study authors explained, which means that this age group is more likely to infect others than adults.
This new research, the largest study of its kind, could be a predictor of how reopening schools in the midst of a pandemic could affect the health crisis, as the researchers determined that the highest COVID-19 rate for Household contacts of children ages 10-19 and the lowest rates for children under 9 were in the midst of school closings.
“Although the detection rate of contacts for preschool-age children was lower, young children may show higher attack rates when school closes, which contributes to community transmission of COVID-19,” the study said. .
The researchers point out that contact tracing “is especially important in light of future future SARS-CoV-2 waves, for which social distancing and personal hygiene will continue to be the most viable options for prevention.” In addition, “understanding the role of hygiene and infection control measures is critical to reducing the spread of the home and the role of masking within the home, especially if a family member is at high risk,” they write.
Essential mitigation strategy
The study also points out the importance of the current mitigation strategy, which includes physical distancing, optimizing the probability of reducing individual, family and community illnesses. “The implementation of public health recommendations, including hand and respiratory hygiene, should be encouraged to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within affected households,” they added.
As for you: to stay healthy regardless of your age, avoid the crowds (and bars and house parties), wear a face mask, practice social distancing, just do essential errands, wash your hands regularly, and get over this pandemic in your healthiest don’t miss these 37 places that are more likely to get coronavirus.
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