'Possible third wave of COVID unlikely to affect children much': WHO-AIIMS joint survey

After months of mulling over any forthcoming waves of COVID-19, a survey on Thursday revealed that the third wave of the viral infection is unlikely to affect children much. As per the survey, which was conducted in five selected states with a total sample size of 10,000 by the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the uninfected children were seen developing antibodies better than the uninfected adults, and thus, it is observed that virus variant is unlikely to disproportionately affect children as opposed to adults. 

Possible third wave of COVID-19 unlikely to affect children much, as per WHO-AIIMS survey

In scientific terms, the SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate among children was high compared to the adult population in the survey. It is pertinent to mention here that the seropositivity rate is the rate of having a positive serum reaction especially in a test for the presence of antibodies. It is not just confined to COVID, but all types of infection. 

The result is on the basis of data of 4,500 participants that were taken from four states of India for mid-term analysis, and more results are likely to come in the next two to three months.

'No Evidence To Suggest Children Will Be More At Risk In COVID Third Wave': Lancet Report

The development comes after a new Lancet report on Sunday affirmed that there appears to be no substantial evidence to recommend that children can be highly affected or have larger severity as a result of COVID-19 during the anticipated third wave.  The Commission that created the report with the help of a specialist group comprising main paediatricians from the nation, also asserted," Most kids with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, and amongst these symptomatic delicate infections are predominant. Most kids have a fever with respiratory signs, and infrequently current with gastrointestinal signs (resembling diarrhoea, vomiting, ache in the stomach) and atypical manifestation in comparison with adults. The proportion of symptomatic kids will increase as age will increase as does the severity in such age teams."

As there was no nationwide database on medical presentation and outcomes of infected children throughout the two surges in India, the information of roughly 2,600 hospitalised kids, under the age of 10 years (excluding neonates), from 10 hospitals (each private and non-private), in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi-NCR area, were collected and analysed. In response to the information, mortality charges amongst these surveyed hospitalised COVID-19 constructive kids under the age of 10 years was 2 per cent and about 40 per cent of the kids who died had comorbidities. 9 per cent of all hospitalised COVID-19 constructive kids introduced with an extreme sickness, beneath 10 years of age. "The above observations had been comparable throughout the two surges of COVID-19 infections India has skilled,” the Lancet doc mentioned.

The information was additionally evaluated individually for the time intervals akin to the 2 surges, March 2020-December 2020 and January 2021-April 2021.Comparable observations had been recorded in a multicentric examine which studied 402 kids hospitalised in Indian hospitals, of which 90 % had been asymptomatic to mildly symptomatic, and of 318 instances whereby 44% had underlying co-morbidities.

Based mostly on the information out there, there seems to be no substantial proof to recommend that kids could be extra affected or would have larger sickness severity as a result of COVID-19 an infection within the anticipated third wave. Research additionally point out that kids have a milder illness, higher prognosis, and low mortality compared to adults,” the report concluded.