South African Paediatric Association: Kids and Covid Wave 3
A few critical questions answered by Prof Heather Zar ,Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town and Prof Shabir Madhi , professor of vaccinology and director of South African Medical Research Council Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand.
I have attached the URL should you choose to watch the webinar: https://youtu.be/oBgM54Ed4vY
• Transmission via aerosol is the main form of transmission and not surface transmission as previously thought.
• Are children less susceptible to COVID than adults? YES.
• Are children more prone to asymptomatic infection? YES.
• Are most children with Corona virus asymptomatic? YES.
• Can an asymptomatic child transmit the virus? YES.
• Do children transfer as much as adults? NO – children are not the super spreaders.
• Who is more likely to introduce Corona virus into the household? Adults.
• Is school based transmission of the virus important in community viral spread? NO, other areas of community interaction is more important. Globally, schools present a low risk of transmission.
• Do all ages have the same risk? No, adolescents 15-19 yr approaches the same transmission risk as adults. Younger children’s risk are far lower.
• Are there more paediatric admissions with the newer variants? No.
• Are the symptoms different with the new Delta variant(the one that originated in India)? The Delta variant seem to present with more nasal congestion in the younger children. It gets tricky as this is also a presenting symptoms for many illnesses seen in the winter months.
• Is the rapid antigen test reliable? It’s dependent on viral load, so if the child is symptomatic, the viral load is generally higher and it should be sensitive and therefore reliable, but it has no place in asymptomatic children.
• SAPA strongly recommends schools should stay open as far as National regulations allow.
• RISK versus BENEFIT. Globally the risk for children contracting serious disease following Covid-19 transmission is less than 1 %. The benefit of children continuing schooling far outweighs the risk.
We are aware that there is much anxiety within our community, which is understandable as this wave puts us under pressure as never before.
SAPA provides information that is research based with scientific evidence. If you need medical information, please contact your Paediatrician’s office. We are here to yet again help you navigate this wave.
Take care
Xoxo @Dr Christa