Is the delta variant of the Coronavirus worse for kids? This is now a debate among people, but according to the research of health experts, there is no such strong evidence yet that it affects children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the COVID virus, though delta variant has headed to a rush in infections among kids because it’s more transmissible than the previous variant.
Experts view on Delta Variant
Delta variant can easily spread, which makes it more of a risk to children and highlights the need for masks in schools and vaccinations for those who are old enough, said Dr. Juan Dumois who is a recognized pediatric infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
No doubt, the weekly infection rate among children in the U.S. surpassed 2,50,000 surprisingly, which is the wintertime peak, according to the data of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association. More than 5 million children in the U.S have tested COVID-19 positive since the pandemic started.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, the Delta variant has been found in 180 countries. In most of them, the spike in infection has hospitalized many kids and teens.
In the U.S., the hospitalization rate was less than 2 percent per 100,000 children in late August and early September, which is similar to the peak last winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. According to experts, the good thing is the portion of kids hospitalized with severe illness hasn’t changed considerably.
The absolute numbers make it look like children are getting sicker with the delta variant, but experts say that doesn’t seem to be the case. According to experts, most of the kids infected have minor infections with no such symptoms and are not required to be hospitalized for treatment.
COVID-19 vaccine will protect humans against the Delta Variant virus
Health experts confirmed that the COVID-19 vaccine would continue to offer protection against the delta variant virus. Among children 12 and older who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccinations- the weekly hospitalization rate in July was almost ten times greater for the unvaccinated than those who have had the vaccination shots; CDC data clearly shows that.
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