According to initial findings, the delta variant of the coronavirus does not lead to more severe courses of Covid-19 in children. As a study by the US health authority CDC shows, the proportion of serious illnesses in children currently does not differ significantly from that in January, when the alpha variant of the coronavirus predominated in the USA. In addition, the data indicate a high effectiveness of vaccination protection in adolescents.
The rate of corona-related hospital admissions for children and adolescents up to the age of 17 had recently risen sharply again in the USA and was 1.4 per 100,000 in mid-August. The researchers then compared around 3,100 hospital cases from January with 164 from the current delta wave and found hardly any differences in the strength of the courses.
The proportion of patients who had to be transferred to an intensive care unit was 26.5 percent in January before the delta variant appeared, and now it is 23.3 percent. Before Delta, 6.1 percent of the recorded patients required ventilation; with Delta it was 9.8 percent. These differences are not statistically significant. According to the scientists, however, further data are required for more reliable results.
The study clearly shows the effectiveness of the corona vaccination against the delta variant in adolescents. In the USA, vaccination is possible from the age of twelve. Between June 20 and July 31, of 68 adolescents admitted to the hospital, 59 were not vaccinated, five were once vaccinated and four were double vaccinated. This means that hospital treatment for unvaccinated adolescents in the event of a corona infection is around ten times more likely than with vaccinated people.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
