the Elderly residents of Switzerland, isolated the epidemic of Covid-19, permitted again to see their grandsons and granddaughters. The authorities came to the conclusion that children under the age of 10 cannot transmit the virus to adults, and thus are not dangerous for elderly relatives.
the Ban on close contact even with family members was introduced as one of restrictive measures to slow the spread of coronavirus — along with the closure of schools, most of the shops, the cancellation of mass events , etc.
now, However, countries that have passed the first peak of the epidemic has begun to revise and relax the strict requirements of social distancing — especially those associated with children.
as a result, some lessons are pretty strange: a dozen children at nearby desks watching online broadcast from the apartment of the teacher.
In Croatia, the Netherlands and several other countries will begin classes next week. But the authorities in Italy and Spain refuse to open schools in September.
a Majority of U.S. States have also announced that children will not be able to return to class until at least the end of the school year — despite the urgings of the President of the trump.
Such a different approach due to the fact that in the scientific community there is no consensus about the role of children in the epidemic Covid-19.
Some scientists believe that the risk of transmission to children is minimal and does not justify the damage they are causing the closure of schools and forced social isolation.
Others urged not to hurry with the abolition of restrictive measures, citing the fact that our knowledge about the new virus continue extremely limited.
Closing schools has become one of the priority measures in the fight against the epidemic Covid-19 in many countries — is a proven and very effective method to curb the ongoing outbreak of influenza or another SARS.
According to doctors, children’s institutions respiratory infections usually bloom in riotous color: children gather in one place, actively contact, quickly infect each other and spread the disease further, into their family.
However, Covid-19 is probably an exception to this rule.
moreover, it is not clear whether children infect adults, in principle.
on the one hand, the infection spreads faster and easier than seasonal flu, and it would be strange to assume that children with their immature immune virus reason often shy away from.
on the other, studies in Iceland and the Netherlands did not reveal a single case when an infected Covid-19 child up to 10 years infected anyone at home. And respondents in China, patients are unable toso nice! such stories.
In the Italian city in March for the presence of virus was checked by all residents of the city one of nearly 3,500 people — twice, with a difference in two weeks. The infection is found in approximately 3% of the population, but none of the 234 children under the age of 10 years the test was not positive.
Most surprising was the case of 9-year-old boy from Britain, who in January picked up Covid-19 from a family friend in the French ski resort. Symptoms in a child almost was not, so he continued to go to group sessions with the instructor and even managed to go back to school before diagnosis.
Especially significant that he has not transferred the infection even two of his sisters, though in the next two months all three had time to recover from colds and flu, infecting each other.
Experts of the British Royal pediatric College studied already more than a hundred scientific articles about Covid-19, collecting data about demographics of the new virus, and concluded: “the Role of children in transmission [of infection] is not fully understood, but it seems that a significant role of the children do not play.”
Many media outlets have deemed this conclusion is sufficient to state: the transmission of the virus from adult children is not fixed and therefore, such contact can generally be considered safe.
It is on the basis of this review of British pediatricians (and the aforementioned study who) in Switzerland, the decision was made to allow the grandparents to see their grandchildren, and in Germany and other European countries begin to access school.
“Children, of course, are not the driving force of the epidemic, declared on 17 April the head of the Department of infectious diseases, the Swiss Ministry of health Daniel Koch, announcing the impending opening of schools. — Of course, there are cases of children, mostly from their parents. But children do not carry [the virus] he has little to no effect”.
However, the study authors claim that their misunderstood: of course, children are carriers of the coronavirus and can infect others, including adults.
(“Some media, citing a Royal pediatric College, reported incorrect information about what kids supposedly can’t stand Covid-19. This statement does not reflect the position of the College and has no evidentiary basis”).
“Now there are data indicating that children themselves are less susceptible to the virus than adults, and among them may be less carriers of the disease. But it is a fact that children carry the infection in a much milder form,” he said.
the Stats really shows that severe form Covid-19 occurs in children is extremely rare.
In the US, for example, children and adolescents up to 18 years havenil approximately 1.7% of the total number of infected. About the same proportion of minors coronavirus patients in Spain, Italy, South Korea and other countries.
Conducted in China showed that 90% of the more than 2000 infected children suffered Covid-19 is relatively moderate, although nearly 40% of them developed pneumonia and on the background of asymptomatic of the disease.
moreover, when in Shenzhen, doctors have traced the contacts of infected patients and tested for the presence of virus 1300 people with whom the patients talked before diagnosis, it was found that the infection rate among children up to 10 years is exactly the same as in adults: 7-8%.
that is why leading German virologist Christian Drosten calls in the current situation, be extremely wary of the prospect of opening the schools and kindergartens.
question Bi-bi-si, can still be considered secure communication of grandparents with their grandchildren, experts answer very vague.
“to Make any General statement on this issue is difficult because it depends on specific risk factors such as the child and specific an elderly relative — explains Alasdair Munro. — And both sides need to consider how in fact the probability of contact with the virus, and the risk of developing serious complications in case of infection.”
It was better to play it safe.
Nikolay Voronin, the reporter for science
