According to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 75 percent of US children have been exposed to the coronaviruses, up from 44 percent before the omicron wave.
The children in the age groups of 0 to 11 and 12 to 17 have the highest infections and saw the most significant increases during the omicron wave. About a third of children in the country were affected by the omicron wave. The data shows how poorly the country has done at shielding children from the swine flue.
The CDC published a study in February that found that the peak rate of hospitalizations for children during the omicron wave was four times higher than the peak seen last fall. The peak hospitalization rate for children ages 0 to 4 was five times higher than the peak.
The increase in infections in children during the omicron period was quite striking, according to the lead author of the new CDC study.
The CDC drew data from an ongoing national survey of blood samples submitted to commercial labs for various routine and diagnostic testing. Between September 2021 and February 2022, the survey included between 45,000 and 81,000 samples.
Blood samples were tested for anti-nucleocapsid, which are only produced by a SARS-CoV-2 infection, not a vaccine. The test can detect low levels of anti-N antibodies for up to two years after an infection. The test does not reflect whether someone is protected from future harm. It gives a yes or no answer as to whether someone had been exposed to the disease. The researchers excluded blood samples submitted for the test. This type of study is called a seroprevalence study, and it estimates the prevalence of an infectious disease in a population based on blood samples.
AdvertisementThe impact of the omicron wave was studied by the group of people. The US population's seroprevalence increased from 33.5 percent to 58 percent. The most significant increases in infections were in children. Seroprevalence increased from 44 percent to 75 percent in children ages 0 to 11 and from 46 percent to 74 percent in 12- to 17-year-olds.
In comparison, adults 18 to 49 saw a rise in the percentage of seroprevalence. The 50 to 64 group had a lower rate of seroprevalence. The percentage of seroprevalence went from 19 percent to 33 percent for those 65 and above.
The lowest vaccination rates in children are reflected in the higher seroprevalence in younger age groups. Children ages 0 to 4 are not eligible for vaccine, but children ages 5 and up are. Only 28 percent of children 5 to 11 and 59 percent of children 12 to 17 have been fully protected. Adults who are up-to-date with their vaccinations are the best protection for children. Only 76 percent of adults have gotten their full primary series of vaccine doses and only 46 percent have received a booster dose.
Children have a lower risk of severe disease from COVID-19, but they are still at risk. Children with underlying conditions tend to be the ones with more COVID-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome cases. There is a risk of long COVID.
All of these outcomes can be protected by vaccination. The shots give broader protection than the past, which is critical for protecting against future variants.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
