The Omicron infection severity in children
Professor Yong Poovorawan, MD, Head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, has described the severity of this strain of coronavirus that the children contracted Covid-19 infection. Symptoms are mild or mostly asymptomatic. The danger is so low that current evidence clearly shows that infection with Omicron often results in less severe illness than the previous strain of COVID-19, Delta.
Likewise, Associate Professor Dr. Asha Bowen, the paediatric infectious diseases specialist at Perth Children’s Hospital and Head of Skin Health at the Telethon Kids Institute, said that COVID-19 infection was still mild in children. Overall, most children have no symptoms or have mild symptoms such as a runny nose, fever, or a few days of feeling unwell and can recover quite quickly.
Although the average Omicron variant does not show severe symptoms, a rapid increaseininfectionsof theOmicron variant leads to the number of infected children. In many countries, the rate of hospitalizations for children and adolescents has also skyrocketed in recent weeks. It includes children under the age of 5 whose hospitalization rates are increasing. The studies in the US have not found evidence of an increase in omicron-related severity in children under five. However, since mid-December, hospitalizations for children under five have increased due to the high-risk Omicron outbreak. It’s a surge that hasn’t been seen in any younger age group, which has a similar trend with the United Kingdom. At the time, these children are the only groups who are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination.
Meanwhile, Thailand also saw an increase in the number of pediatric coronavirus cases after the arrival of the Omicron variant. The information on infection among children of the Children’s Hospital for COVID-19 is increasing. At first, the number of COVID-19infected children was in the hundreds per day, but now it is in the thousands. It suggests that the Omicron can spread quickly, and the rapid increaseininfectionsof the Omicron variant resulted in more children in hospital admissions. However, vaccination is still necessary to reduce the risk, especially for young children who are the only group ineligible.
“Vaccination” is necessary to help protect vulnerable children and mitigate disease severity.
Although COVID-19 appears to be mild in most children, vaccination still protects against other high-risk groups and reduces the risk of developing severe conditions in children. The current evidence indicates that children with genetic, neurological, or metabolic disorders, including people with heart or lung diseases, can increase the risk of contracting a dangerous COVID-19 infection. It’s similar to adults. Children who are obese, diabetic, or have severe asthma may also be at increased risk, who should receive two doses of the vaccine.
Robert Boe, MD, the pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Sydney, Australia, said that for most children without health problems, just one dose of the vaccine tends to provide high levels of protection. In addition, vaccination prevents severe symptoms in children from infection. For example, it prevents multi-organ inflammation that can cause symptoms, such as persistent fever, abdominal pain, and rashes. Approximately 1 in 3,000 children will develop symptoms of multiple systemic inflammations a few weeks after infection. The research shows that if vaccinated, it can protect 90 percent.
