Washington, Beritasatu.com – A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the rate of viral infections corona among adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years it is double that of younger children.
The study, published in the CDC Weekly on Morbidity and Mortality Report on Monday (9/28/2020) analyzed 277,285 cases Covid-19 confirmed in US school-age children between March and mid-September.
Researchers found the average weekly incidence of Covid-19 in adolescents was around 37 cases per 100,000 children. That rate is roughly double the infection in younger children ages 5 and 12, with 19 cases per 100,000 children.
Of the more than 277,200 cases the researchers observed, 37 percent occurred in children ages 5 to 11, and 63 percent were in the older age group.
“Although mortality and hospitalization rates in school-age children are low, Hispanic ethnicity, black race, and underlying conditions are more frequently reported in children admitted to hospital or in the ICU (intensive care unit), “Wrote the researcher in the study.
Covid-19 cases have roughly tripled in people under the age of 19 since May. “This shows their increasingly important role in community transmission,” said the study.
Health experts have previously said that young children can still spread the virus corona although they are less likely to become seriously ill than older adults. “But little is known about the incidence – or occurrence of Covid-19 infection – among school-age children,” note the investigators in the CDC study.
“It is important for schools and communities to monitor various indicators of Covid-19 in school-age children and layered prevention strategies to reduce the risk of Covid-19 disease for students, teachers, school staff, and families,” wrote the researchers.
Source: CNBC
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