Category: Children
CDC: airborne #coronavirus infection possible at distances greater than six feet
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can occur from inhalation of virus in the air farther than six feet from an infectious source. With increasing distance from the source, the role of inhalation likewise increases. Although infections through inhalation at distances greater than six feet from an infectious source are less likely than at closer distances, the phenomenon has been repeatedly documented under certain preventable circumstances.
These transmission events have involved the presence of an infectious person exhaling virus indoors for an extended time (more than 15 minutes and in some cases hours) leading to virus concentrations in the air space sufficient to transmit infections to people more than 6 feet away, and in some cases to people who have passed through that space soon after the infectious person left. Per published reports, factors that increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection under these circumstances include:
Enclosed spaces with inadequate ventilation or air handling within which the concentration of exhaled respiratory fluids, especially very fine droplets and aerosol particles, can build-up in the air space.
Increased exhalation of respiratory fluids if the infectious person is engaged in physical exertion or raises their voice (e.g., exercising, shouting, singing).
Prolonged exposure to these conditions, typically more than 15 minutes.
CDC Scientific Brief: SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
Maldives: 60% positivity rate in Greater Male – “High chance of new #coronavirus variant”
The Maldives Health Protection Agency revealed on Sunday that three out of five samples tested in Greater Male’ Area result in a COVID positive case. Within a two week period, HPA said, the positivity rate at flu clinics have increased by four times.
Maldives is currently in its worst COVID wave to date. With 9,433 active cases, this is the highest the figure has been. Currently, 250 people are hospitalized, Maldives have seen 84 fatalities so far. In February 2020, Maldives started it’s vaccination program, and so far 300,906 people from a population of 531,000 have been given the first dose of the vaccine while 130,886 people have received the second dose.
On average, 80 children below the age of 10 are found to be positive EVERY DAY. This includes 4 to 5 children who are less than a year old.
Definitely a new strain. Looks more infective. Affecting the lungs more vigorously. Deteriorates faster.
Simple steps:
1. Reduce your contact bubble.2. Mask up Maldives!
3. A clean hands.
Above all pray to Allah#MaskupMaldives
— Dr. Mohamed Ali (@Moxamedalu) May 7, 2021
Maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality among pregnant women with and without COVID-19 #coronavirus infection
** WARNING: the research mentioned in this post reaches some very disturbing conclusions and may not be suitable for general sharing, Please think carefully before retransmitting it **
From March to October last year the INTERCOVID team tracked data on 2,130 pregnant women across the world from Argentina to Russia, including the UK, US, France, Italy and Japan.
The results are stark: women with Covid during pregnancy were found to be over 50 per cent more likely to experience complications such as premature birth, pre-eclampsia, admission to intensive care and death compared with pregnant women unaffected by the disease.
While the consequences of such complications were more serious in lower-income countries, the elevated risk of complications in the first place were the same everywhere.
The impact of Covid was not limited to mothers, either. The babies of infected women the study followed were almost three times more likely to face “severe medical complications, such as admission to a neonatal intensive care unit – mostly due to premature birth.”
The Telegraph report on the INTERCOVID research
See also:
CNN story: Brazil asks women ‘if possible’ to delay pregnancy over Covid variants
Brussels TImes story: Pregnant women should get priority vaccination
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
UK #coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 may not have evolved spontaneously in the UK or within human populations
“Here we analyzed 454,443 SARS-CoV-2 spike genes/proteins and 14,427 whole-genome sequences. We demonstrated that the early variant B.1.1.7 may not have evolved spontaneously in the United Kingdom or within human populations. Our extensive analyses suggested that Canidae, Mustelidae or Felidae, especially the Canidae family (for example, dog) could be a possible host of the direct progenitor of variant B.1.1.7.”
Biorxiv preprint: Potential transmission chains of variant B.1.1.7 and co-mutations of SARS-CoV-2
India: Doctors discuss the diagnosis and treatment of B.1.617 double mutant #coronavirus patients
“Death of fully vaccinated people”, “Increased incidence of reinfections”, “Very infectious. Almost all near contacts are positive if traced”, “RT-PCR reports are 67-70% positive and RAT around 89%”, “RT-PCR was positive around 60% of cases”
Dr Nishith Kumar, Pulmonologist, Ranchi
I have seen 100s of cases where the patient is maintaining normal oxygen saturation & more than 2-40% lung is affected on CT scan
Dr T Rekha, MD med, Kolkata
So far, in the admitted cases, most of the age groups are between 30-40
One whole family (4 members) admitted post vaccination following 1st dose vaccination
RT-PCR was positive around 60% of cases
Dr Bijay Patni, Bhagaipur
D-Dimer is found to be elevated in most cases
Very infectious. Almost all near contacts are positive if traced
Dr Rajkamal Chaudhary, Delhi
Age group 1yrs to 30yrs
RT-PCR reports are 67-70% positive and RAT around 89%
Dr H Sharan, Ranchi
Recent samples (~300) showed B.1.617 in 30% of samples
Increased incidence of reinfections
Death of fully vaccinated people
HRCt chest should be advised to all
CMEIndia.in discussions Please read the entire article here
12% of US children with COVID-19 #coronavirus are hospitalized
Among a cohort of 20,714 US children with COVID-19, more than 1 in 10 were hospitalized, of whom 31.1% (756) had severe COVID-19, defined as requiring admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation, or comparable treatment. The study found that 2,430 (11.7%) of the 20,714 children who had an emergency department or inpatient encounter were hospitalized with COVID-19.
Discharge data from 869 US medical facilities from Mar 1 to Oct 31, 2020 showed that most hospitalized COVID pediatric patients were girls (52.8%) and 12 to 18 years of age (53.8%); 29.2% had at least one chronic condition. Similar to COVID studies in adult populations, Hispanic and Black populations were overrepresented at 39.3% and 24.4%, respectively. However, when the researchers looked at factors for severe COVID-19, race did not have any significant associations, and neither did insurance type.
The likelihood for severe COVID-19 increased if the patient had at least one chronic condition (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44 to 4.37) or male (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.83). Likelihood also increased if the child was 2 to 5 or 6 to 11 years of age versus a teenager (aORs, 1.53 for both; 95% CIs, 1.11 to 2.13 and 1.04 to 2.23, respectively).
“Although admission to an intensive care unit for younger children may indicate an abundance of caution by clinicians or facility and administrative requirements rather than disease severity, this finding has important clinical and resource planning implications for facilities and clinicians,” the researchers write. “Understanding factors associated with severe COVID-19 disease among children could help inform prevention and control strategies.”
Italian study: 66.6% of children of had at least one persisting #coronavirus symptom between 60 & 120 days after infection (13 had one or two symptoms, 7 had three or more)
Twenty out of 30 children (66.6%) assessed between 60 and 120 days after initial COVID-19 had at least one persisting symptom (13 had one or two symptoms, 7 had three or more); 35 of 68 children (27.1%) had at least one symptom 120 days or more after diagnosis (21 had one or two symptoms, 14 had three or more). 29 out of the 68 (42.6%) children assessed >120 days days from diagnosis were still distressed by these symptoms.
Wiley.com: Preliminary Evidence on Long Covid in children
Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
UK: Primary school children have highest #coronavirus infection level
Primary school children aged 5-12 are now the group with the highest COVID infection level in the UK, at 0.41%. School re-openings are thought to be the reason why children have become the most infected group.
The lowest rate of COVID infection is now in those aged 65 and above, at 0.09%.
REACT study: Primary school children have highest COVID infection level
EU: ECHR throws fuel on the #coronavirus vaccination fire – backs mandatory jabs for kids
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Thursday that democratic governments can make vaccinations obligatory, in a landmark judgement rejecting complaints brought by Czech families penalised for refusing compulsory jabs for their children.
“The… measures could be regarded as being ‘necessary in a democratic society'” the court ruled, saying that the Czech health policy was consistent with the “best interests” of children.
Our opinion: ** Is there an easier or quicker way of antagonising parents in the middle of a global viral pandemic than encouraging mandatory vaccinations? We can’t think of one. Expect severe blowback **
France: 90 percent of adults will need a #coronavirus vaccine before the country can get back to normal
It is estimated that between the start of the pandemic and March 2021, around 20% of French people were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus , which is far below collective (herd) immunity. In this context, a large-scale vaccination campaign is necessary to relax the control measures and resume a normal life.
If the vaccination campaign concerns only the adult population, for R0 = 4.0, it would be necessary that more than 90% of adults be vaccinated for a complete relaxation of the control measures to be considered. These high levels are explained by the fact that if only adults are vaccinated, a large epidemic is still expected in children, contributing to the infection of unprotected parents and grandparents. If vaccines are shown to be safe in children and to effectively reduce susceptibility in this population, immunization of 60-69% of 0-64 year olds and 90% of over 65s may allow release complete control measures.
Pasteur Institute report (in French)
Image by Paul Henri Degrande from Pixabay
Children now playing ‘huge role’ in spread of #coronavirus variant B.1.1.7
Dr. Michael Osterholm is the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “Please understand, this B.1.1.7 variant is a brand new ball game,” Osterholm said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “It infects kids very readily. Unlike previous strains of the virus, we didn’t see children under 8th grade get infected often or they were not frequently very ill, they didn’t transmit to the rest of the community. Anywhere you look where you see this emerging, you see that kids are playing a huge role in the transmission of this,” Osterholm said. “All the things that we had planned for about kids in schools with this virus are really no longer applicable. We’ve got to take a whole new look at this issue.”
Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay
UK AstraZeneca #coronavirus jab trial on children paused as regulator investigates rare blood clots in adults
A vaccine trial into the safety and efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in children has been paused while the UK medicines regulator investigates a possible link to rare blood clots in adults who had the jab.
A spokesperson from Oxford university said in a statement: “Whilst there are no safety concerns in the paediatric clinical trial, we await additional information from the MHRA on its review of rare cases of thrombosis/thrombocytopaenia that have been reported in adults, before giving any further vaccinations in the trial. Parents and children should continue to attend all scheduled visits and can contact the trial sites if they have any questions.”
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
Pediatric household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 #coronavirus infection
This study suggests that younger children are more likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to older children, and the highest odds of transmission was observed for children aged 0-3 years. Differential infectivity of pediatric age groups has implications for infection prevention controls within households, as well as schools/childcare, to minimize risk of household secondary transmission.
Image by Esi Grünhagen from Pixabay
More than 5,000 infected children affected by #coronavirus in Islamabad, Pakistan
Hospitals in Islamabad are reporting an overwhelming number of patients in the age bracket from the newborns to 10-year old causing alarm for the authorities. The federal capital reported 121 children testing positive for Covid-19 and according to the National Command & Operation Centre so far 5,000 children out of 57,833 cases have tested positive for Covid-19 in the federal capital.
According to the spokesperson of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Waseem Khwaja currently two kids (one is 8-day and the other is 3-month old) are on Oxygen support in the PIMS Children Hospital.
In the prevailing 3rd wave of Covid-19, a total of 15 kids are admitted at PIMS, further said Dr Waseem Khwaja.
About the 8-day baby, he said the baby had contracted virus from the mother. The patient though tested negative on Wednesday, yet feeling difficulty in breathing and therefore is put on Oxygen support
Image by H.S.Wajid Hussain from Pixabay