Delta's Impact on Children | Prognosis: Covid UNCUT

In the U.S., as of Sept. 16, more than 5.5 million children and adolescents had tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. That represents 15.7% of all cases, though individuals under 18 make up 22.2% of the U.S. population. However, after declining in early summer, pediatric cases have increased exponentially and comprise a higher share of the total - 25.7% in the week ending Sept. 16, or almost 226,000 cases. That surge, coinciding with increased circulation of the delta variant, has translated into more Covid-related hospitalizations among children and adolescents, although serious cases remain proportionately rare.

How serious is a delta infection for children?

Covid-19 remains a mild disease in the vast majority of children, and there’s no evidence that delta is changing that. Severe disease after any infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid, in children remains rare, and hospitalization and death exceedingly rare. Among U.S. states reporting data, children made up 1.6% to 4.2% of the total number of Covid-19 patients hospitalized since the pandemic began, and 0.1%-2.0% of pediatric cases have resulted in hospitalization, according to the academy. Often children are hospitalized for other reasons and coincidentally test positive for SARS-CoV-2. Children represent less than 0.25% of all Covid fatalities in the U.S., and their mortality risk is less than 0.03%, the academy said. Some children who have had Covid may later develop a rare but serious condition known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, although the cause is unknown.

Are children more likely to transmit delta?

The delta variant is inherently more transmissible and, therefore, will be more contagious between children, between adults, and between adults and children and vice versa. Studies and modeling of transmission patterns indicate that younger children and adolescents play a lesser role in spreading SARS-CoV-2 at a population level, and that prioritizing vaccination in older age groups yields more population-level protection against Covid.

Should children get vaccinated?

The case for immunizing children is much less clear-cut than it is with adults, who are at greater risk of getting seriously ill. Vaccines have received emergency authorization for use on children older than 12 in the U.S. and elsewhere, while studies are underway to assess the safety and effectiveness of shots for those younger. Any recommendations will need to weigh the risk of harm from Covid against the risk of harm from the inoculation, as well as the broader benefits of vaccination, such as reducing transmission in the community and avoiding school closures.

Can children get long Covid?

Yes, though it’s uncertain how frequently it occurs. An analysis and review of published studies by researchers in Switzerland and Australia and found that long Covid might be less of a concern in children and adolescents than in adults, with symptoms typically persisting for less than 12 weeks. Still, the authors found that studies of the likelihood of persistent symptoms in children are limited and difficult to interpret. In some cases, children who had an infection weren’t compared with uninfected “controls” to identify whether chronic fatigue, anxiety and other ailments could be indirect consequences of the pandemic, such as lockdowns and school closures. In one large, self-selected, online study, only 13.5% of eligible participants responded, leading to a potential response bias, for example, toward those experiencing lingering symptoms being more motivated to participate, resulting in an over-representation of symptom prevalence.

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