By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Coronavirus has killed 210,814 people in the United States and infected 7,407,201 in the latest count, positioning the country with 20 per cent of global deaths and cases, even though it has 4 per cent of the world’s population.
But, in all the turmoil, coronavirus rarely kills children, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The findings apply globally.
The CDC adds, however, that children and teens from minority groups are disproportionately hit by the pandemic, just as older adults are.
Children from ethnic and racial minorities, those with underlying health conditions and those between the ages of 18 and 20 are more likely to die, the research team wrote in a study published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The report, quoted by CNN, also showed just how unusual it is for children and young adults to die from coronavirus. Among the 190,000 deaths tallied in the U.S. in early September, only 0.08 per cent – or 121 – were reported in those under 21.
Report from the CDC in early September shows 377 children, teens and young adults aged up to 24 have died from coronavirus.
Coronavirus demographics
The researchers asked 50 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to submit information on coronavirus deaths in those under 21, between February 12 and July 31.
Forty-seven jurisdictions responded.
Among the approximately 6.5 million Covid-19 cases in the country at the time, the researchers found a total of 391,814 cases of Covid-19 and MIS-C in those under 21.
While people under 21 make up 26 per cent of the U.S. population, they make up only 8 per cent of all reported cases.
Hispanics, Blacks and American Indian/Alaska Natives were disproportionately affected.
A total of 44 per cent of the 121 who died were Hispanic children, 29 per cent Black children, 4 per cent American Indian/Alaska Natives and 4 per cent Asian or Pacific Islander.
While these groups represent 41 per cent of the total population under the age of 21, they accounted for approximately 75 per cent of deaths in that age range. White children accounted for 14 per cent.
“Infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority groups at higher risk, those with underlying medical conditions, and their caregivers, need clear, consistent, and developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate COVID-19 prevention messages,” the researchers wrote.
While 25 per cent of the deaths were in previously healthy children, 75 per cent had at least one underlying health condition and 45 per cent had two or more.
The most frequently reported medical conditions were chronic lung disease, including asthma; obesity; neurologic and developmental conditions and cardiovascular conditions.
The breakdown among the different age groups varied substantially, with those in the younger age groups doing better than adolescents and young adults.
Approximately 10 per cent of the deaths were in infants under the age of 1, an additional 9 per cent were in children between 1 and 4, with another 11 per cent in the 5-9 range and 10 per cent in the 10-13 range.
But almost 20 per cent of the deaths were seen in teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 and more than 40 per cent were in 18 to 20 year-olds.
This matches up somewhat with earlier CDC statistics that found 0 to 4-year-olds are four times less likely to be hospitalised and nine times less likely to die than 18 to 29-year-olds, and 5 to 17-year-olds are nine times less likely to be hospitalised and 16 times less likely to die than 18 to 29-year-olds.
Boys fared worse than girls: males accounted for 63 per cent of the deaths compared with 37 per cent for females.
Children can spread SARS-CoV-2
Even though children are reassuringly less likely to get severely ill and die, they can still get infected and transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others, according to numerous studies.
For example, in one study published in the MMWR, researchers analysed contact tracing data from 184 people with links to three child care facilities in Salt Lake County from April to July.
They found at least two children who had no symptoms not only caught the virus, but passed it to other people, including one mother who was hospitalised. One eight-month-old baby infected both parents.
“The infected children exposed at these three facilities had mild to no symptoms. Two of three asymptomatic children likely transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to their parents and possibly to their teachers,” the researchers from the Salt Lake County Health Department wrote in their report.
Study in South Korea
Another study out of South Korea analysed data on 91 asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic and symptomatic children diagnosed with Covid-19 between February 18 and March 31 at 22 centres throughout that country.
It found that 22 per cent of the children were asymptomatic. The study was published at the end of August in JAMA Pediatrics, as reported by CNN.
“This highlights the concept that infected children may be more likely to go unnoticed either with or without symptoms and continue on with their usual activities, which may contribute to viral circulation within their community,” wrote two doctors from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, in an accompanying editorial.
The CDC researchers of the current study said it is important to keep a close eye on children infected with Covid-19.
“Although infants, children, and adolescents are more likely to have milder COVID-19 illness than are adults, complications, including MIS-C and respiratory failure, do occur in these populations.
“Persons infected with or exposed to SARS-CoV-2 should be followed closely so that clinical deterioration can be detected early.”