For the past 3 months, the Chinese virus has been actively discussed in the media. And surprisingly, during this time there was no information that the child died from the coronavirus. Is it luck? Or are there no children among those who died from the coronavirus? From the article, the reader will learn if there are children with coronavirus and how to protect the child from a new infection.
Do children get sick with the new coronavirus?
Scientists note that children are also susceptible to infection with Chinese infection, like adults, but to a lesser extent.
Recently there was information that children are sick with coronavirus in China. The case of infection was confirmed in a 9-month-old girl from Beijing. Another infected child was noted in the city of Shenzhen (China), but no dangerous symptoms were found. Also, a child from Germany became infected with a coronavirus, to whom a dangerous infection was transmitted from his father. Of course, there are significantly fewer infected people under 6 years of age than the number of infected among the adult population. However, there is an opinion on the net that medical centers and hospitals do not fully disclose statistics.
Important! Information has been confirmed that coronavirus can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to a fetus. Therefore, children can become infected even before birth.
Why children are less infected with the virus
According to statistics, the average age of infected coronaviruses is 49-56. Most of those who died from Chinese infection were over 55 years old. Many people are surprised by these statistics. At the moment, there are children among those infected with the coronavirus, but they are few. Virologists cannot accurately determine the cause of this phenomenon. Perhaps the whole point is in the innate immunity of children, which reacts more aggressively to viruses and enters the fight against them.
Adults, on the other hand, have adaptive immunity, which learns to recognize pathogens, which is why it “rushes into battle” later. This theory is also supported by the fact that an adult is 25 times more likely to die from chickenpox than a child. It is worth noting that seasonal influenza deaths in adults are about 10 times higher than in children.
Andrew Pavia, head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Justa, also issued a statement in support of the version that the innate immunity of children reacts more aggressively to the virus and does not allow it to enter the active phase.
Natalie McDermott also supported the idea that children are less susceptible to coronavirus due to innate immunity. She does not exclude the fact that a child can become infected with an infection, but this will not lead to serious consequences for the body. A similar situation was observed in 2003. When almost 9 thousand people became victims of the SARS coronavirus (almost 10% died), among which there were practically no children.
McDermott also suggested that the weak spread of coronavirus in children may be due to the fact that quarantine measures were taken in schools and kindergartens on time. McDermott is also convinced that adults are making more efforts to protect children than for their own safety. And if there is a sick person in the house, the child must be isolated from him.
Interesting! Experts are pleased that a child is less susceptible to contracting a Chinese infection than an adult. Children do not always observe hygiene, and are in close contact with each other in kindergartens (for an adult, this is dangerous).
Features of the course of the disease in children
So, innate immunity in children provides immediate protection against foreign microorganisms. Therefore, often the coronavirus in children occurs in a mild form. Chinese virus symptoms are limited to a runny nose, sore throat, cough, sneezing, and fever. At the same time, acute respiratory failure almost never occurs. So far, no cases have been reported when the virus has led to death in children.
How many children have died from coronavirus
The death toll from the coronavirus is in the thousands. But what is remarkable is that there are no children among the entire mass of those who died from the infection. If a coronavirus is detected in a child, then it often passes in a mild form, because. innate immunity has time to enter into the fight against foreign microorganisms.
How to protect your child from the new coronavirus
To protect your child from Chinese infection, you and he need to follow preventive recommendations:
- Wash their hands frequently with soap and water or treat them with an alcohol-based hand rub. This allows you to get rid of the virus if it is preserved on your hands;
- do not touch the face (especially the mucous membranes) with unwashed hands, because these are the main channels of penetration of the virus;
- when coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth with a tissue, after which it must be disposed of in a resealable container and hands should be treated with an alcohol-containing agent. If there is no napkin, the bend of the elbow is brought to the mouth;
- ventilate the apartment more often. The virus spreads faster in stagnant air, so open windows regularly to ventilate. If the weather is cold outside, use air fresheners;
- keep a distance of 1 meter from people. Distance must be maintained, especially with those who are sneezing, coughing and have other symptoms of respiratory infections;
- if you have respiratory symptoms after visiting China or other countries that have become the center of the spread of infection, tell your doctor about it and do not leave the house;
- do not eat raw or undercooked food. It is also recommended to carefully handle food of animal origin.
It is important to realize that you can protect children from infection if you follow the rules of personal hygiene and avoid close contact with others. If there is a suspicion that the child has contracted the coronavirus (SARS symptoms indicate this), call the doctor and do not leave the apartment.
It is also recommended to refrain from traveling to countries where a large number of people infected with Chinese infection have been recorded (especially European countries that have become the epicenter of the spread of the epidemic after China).
Conclusion
The statistics show that children are much less susceptible to infection with coronavirus. There have been several reported cases of Chinese infections in children around the world, so parents should not panic. The main thing is to wash your hands upon returning from the street and contact with people or animals, as well as to protect the child from visiting public places. If a child has symptoms of SARS, and you have recently visited countries with a large number of infected people or have been in contact with those who came from these countries, then be sure to call a doctor and do not leave the house.