Are children immune to the 2019 coronavirus and COVID-19 outbreak? Fact Check
Rumours online claim that children are immune to the 2019 coronavirus and COVID-19 outbreak.
FALSE
While it is true that children have been affected by the coronavirus to a lesser degree, the claim that all children are “immune” to the virus and the subsequent COVID-19 disease is both false and potentially dangerous information.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in the US (CDC) stated that infections in children have been reported, though such reports were comparatively uncommon.
Infections in children have been reported, including in very young children. From limited information published from past Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreaks, infection among children was relatively uncommon.
Additionally Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, reiterated that point, claiming that while reported cases of children are uncommon, they do occur.
"In 2% of reported cases, the #coronavirus is fatal, and the risk of death increases the older a patient is, and with underlying health conditions.
We see relatively few cases among children. More research is needed to understand why"-@DrTedros #COVID19
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 22, 2020
A February 2020 paper analysing many of the demographics of COVID-19 infections used 44,672 confirmed cases, and concluded that 1% (416) of cases involved children aged 9 year or younger and a further 1% (549) of cases involved children aged 10-19 years of age.
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The CDC has also reported that children, while still susceptible to infection, will often present more mild symptoms.
Of course none of this means that children are immune to the 2019 coronavirus outbreak, and believing this can be dangerous. Children can become infected with coronavirus and COVID-19, and even if they present more mild symptoms, are still capable of passing on the infection to other more vulnerable demographics. As such, children, just like adults, should take precautionary measures to avoid infection.