NIPH has limited confidence that the increase in admissions among children in South Africa is transferable to Norwegian conditions.
The Omikron variant has consistently been described as a more contagious variant than delta, beta and alpha. There has also been an impression that the omicron variant causes milder disease than previous variants. Currently, there is far too little data and knowledge about omikron for the experts to conclude anything certain.
– Basically, it is uncertain whether the omicron variant gives more or less serious disease than the delta variant, but a more serious picture would have been more likely to have been discovered now, FHI writes in its recent risk report about the omikron variant, which was published on Tuesday.
Also read: NIPH in new omikron report: Serious situation – necessary with stronger measures
In South Africa, where the omicron was first discovered a week and a half ago, however, the number of hospital admissions among children has increased considerably recently. It informs both local doctors and South African health authorities.
– There is every reason to follow this closely, since the new mutations may have changed the virus’ properties, so that it gives a different disease picture for children than the delta variant does, said assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad to The online newspaper on Friday.
Also read: Omikron figures show a new worrying pattern: – All reason to pay close attention to this
NIPH has limited confidence in the findings
FHI writes in its new risk report on the omicron variant that they have limited confidence in the findings that children infected with the new variant are more at risk for serious illness than in previous variants.
“It is reported in the news media that there is a greater increase in hospitalizations of children than in previous waves, and that this can be explained by the fact that the omicron variant causes relatively more serious illness in children. We currently have limited confidence in this finding and its relevance to Norwegian conditions, but will follow for new data, “writes FHI.
“The South African Institute of Infectious Disease Control reports that a higher proportion of inpatients in this area are now children under 2 years of age. Everyone who is admitted to hospital is tested for covid-19, and therefore it is not possible to use admission figures alone to assess the severity of covid-19, doctors from hospitals in the area state. There is a low threshold for admitting young children, “writes FHI.
Also read: One in three believe that the authorities’ omicron measures are not enough
«In general, the information about these admissions is in any case not transferable to Norwegian conditions, as living conditions and health services for children are very different. The epicenter of the omicron eruption in South Africa (Tshwane) is located around Pretoria, and is an area characterized by slums and poor living conditions for adults and children. 27 per cent of the population live in shacks (barracks / lightly built houses, editor’s note), and child mortality in 2010/1111 was four times higher than in the rest of South Africa in the age group under 5 years, »reads the risk assessment.
FHI emphasizes that children and young people have rarely contracted a serious illness so far in the pandemic.
Local doctor is concerned
A South African doctor warns that more children are being hospitalized with moderate to severe symptoms after the omicron variant began to spread fully in the country.
Head of the intensive care unit at the hospital Chris Hani Baragwanath, Rudo Mathivha, says she is concerned about the development.
– The situation is quite worrying because this is not something we experienced during the first, second and third wave, she says in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (South African Broadcasting Corporation).
– In the past, children were not very knocked out by covid infections, and they were not really sent to hospital and hospitalized in particularly large numbers. Now we see that they come in with moderate to severe symptoms and need oxygen supply, supportive treatment and hospital stays for quite a few days, says Mathivha, according to The New Zealand Herald who has reproduced parts of the interview.
Also read: Researcher believes the omicron variant may be the beginning of the end for the coronavirus
– But what really broke my heart yesterday, was a 15-year-old formerly healthy child without any illness. After two days of fever, the child enters the hospital and tests positive for covid-19. The condition literally worsens right before our eyes, without any supportive treatment helping, she says.
– We lost that patient. This is our first case here, as far as I know, where a child without underlying or previous illnesses has lost his life as a result of covid-19, says Mathivha.
However, it is unclear whether the patient was infected with the omicron or delta variant.
