The coronavirus mortality rate in children is very low, according to a Europe-wide study. Less than one percent of infected children and adolescents die from the effects of the infection, according to the study published by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
In the vast majority of children and adolescents infected with the novel coronavirus, the disease takes only a “mild” course, said the head of the study, Marc Tebruegge from University College London. For the study, the European research team evaluated the course of the disease in 582 minors between the ages of three and 18 who had been treated in 82 health care facilities. All of these children and adolescents had tested positive for the corona virus. Only four of them died. Two had previous illnesses.
In eight percent of the cases, the Covid-19 respiratory disease caused by the virus took a more severe course, requiring intensive care. Although this is a small, but nevertheless “remarkable” share, explained Tebruegge. 16 percent of minors, on the other hand, had no symptoms at all.
The low mortality rate obviously has something to do with the fact that previous illnesses are significantly less common among minors than among adults. Only a quarter of the children and adolescents from the study had previous illnesses.
The researchers also believe that children and adolescents are even less likely to die from the coronavirus infection than measured in their study. It can be assumed that children infected with the virus with only a mild course of the disease are often not taken to hospitals or other health care facilities. This proportion of infected people was not recorded in the study.
Those: APA
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