No child has been found to have passed coronavirus to an adult, a review of evidence in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatricians has found.
Major studies into the impact of Covid-19 on young children show it is likely that they “do not play a significant role” in spreading the virus and are significantly less likely to become infected than adults.
While experts have said more evidence is needed, they note that there has not been a single case of a child under 10 transmitting the virus even in contact tracing carried out by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The development comes after public health officials in Switzerland announced that under-10s can hug their grandparents again because they pose no risk to them.
A review in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health (RCPCH), found that the evidence “consistently demonstrates reduced infection and infectivity of children in the transmission chain”.
Led by Dr Alasdair Munro, a clinical research fellow in paediatric infectious diseases, the study’s research concluded: “Covid-19 appears to affect children less often, and with less severity, including frequent asymptomatic or sub-clinical infection. There is evidence of critical illness, but it is rare. The role of children in transmission is unclear, but it seems likely they do not play a significant role.”
Read more via The Telegraph/ RCPCH
