HYDERABAD: Contrary to popular belief that impact of Covid-19 on children increased substantially during the second wave, the state health department figures reveal otherwise.
In fact, less number of kids (0-10 years) were affected during the second wave.
As compared to the agegroup accounting for 4.2% of total Covid-19 cases during the first wave, the group accounted for 2.7% cases in the second wave.
The percentage in the 11-20 year age-group has, however, seen an increase from 9% to 10.5%, showing a marginal decline overall in percentage of kids hit by Covid-19.
Experts, meanwhile, predict no drastic change in the percentage even in future waves, if any.
The reason kids were less impacted was because of low ACE-2 receptors.
The spike protein in coronavirus basically attaches itself to ACE-2 receptors to infect the body.
“Children have less number of ACE-2 receptors when compared to adults, which is why we see less infections in them.
Even among children, the younger ones 0-10 years have far less number of ACE-2 proteins which explains why the younger ones were affected less,” said Dr Satish Ghanta, neonatologist and paediatric intensivist, Little Stars Children’s Hospital.
Although, the percentage has remained largely similar, the number of kids affected was more due to overall number of cases being more, he added.
However, of the total number, only 2-3% kids had to be hospitalised and this is also not likely to increase beyond 5% in the future.
“What parents need to do instead of panicking is to empower themselves with the right knowledge about first aid for fever, seizures, vomiting and diarrhoea.
They need to be thorough with the symptoms of Covid-19 and MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) , which we have seen in kids in the second wave.
Also, parents need to be proactive in testing for the virus, and in reaching out to the paediatrician at the earliest,” said Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, chief paediatrician, Magna Centres.