The COVID-19 pandemic has led to over 6 million fatalities. The scientists are still studying why most children do not suffer badly from coronavirus infection.
According to CNBC, several theories have been suggested, including a more effective innate immune response, less risk of immune over-reaction in severe Covid, fewer underlying comorbidities, and possibly fewer ACE-2 receptors in the upper respiratory epithelium (that binds with the virus).
Research carried out by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and University College London, and published in the Nature journal in December, found a more robust “innate” immune response in the airways of children, characterized by the rapid deployment of interferons that help to restrict viral replication early on.
Meanwhile, in adults, the researchers saw a less rapid immune response which meant the virus “was better able to invade other parts of the body where the infection was harder to control.”
Another advantage children have is their greater exposure to viruses, particularly during a term when viruses can spread quickly among children at school.
Research published in late 2021 looking into the overall risk posed by the virus to children found that this was very low for most children and young people below 18.
The study found that of the 3,105 children and young people who died from all causes during the first pandemic year in England, 25 had died of Covid, corresponding to an overall mortality rate of 2 deaths per million children in England.
Of the 25 children, 19 had chronic underlying health conditions, including some children with multiple comorbidities and life-limiting conditions.
The study concluded that Covid “is very rarely fatal,” even among those children with underlying comorbidities.
Within the year that was studied, an estimated 469,982 children in England had Covid, meaning that a child’s chance of surviving an infection was 99.995%.
Pediatric Covid case and mortality data from the U.S. show similarly low risks to children, CNBC notes.
Photo by Gerd Altman from Pixabay
