The world’s most common type, stealth Omicron, isn’t as benign as one would believe, at least among unvaccinated youngsters, according to a new research.
All of Hong Kong’s 0-11-year-old children who were admitted to hospital with COVID between Feb. 5 and 28, during the dominant wave of Omicron BA.2, were compared to those of kids who had been admitted to a hospital during periods of previous COVID variant dominance, influenza, and para virus dominance prior to the pandemic, by scientists.
More people died than during prior COVID strains, influenza, or parainfluenza. Compared to other COVID variations and influenza, the number of pediatric ICU hospitalizations was greater. Seizures and other neurological sequelae were more common than with influenza or parainfluenza. Compared to past COVID strains and influenza, croup cases were much greater during this outbreak. There was a greater demand for respiratory support and oxygen than there was with previous COVID types and flu.
The uninfected as well as unvaccinated kids who died and had serious problems from Omicron BA.2 show that it is not a minor virus. It was not until the middle of January that vaccinations for youngsters in Hong Kong were given the green light. An unprecedented look at how “stealth Omicron” affects people who have never been exposed to the virus before has been provided by this research, which included youngsters who hadn’t been vaccinated or infected.
Children above the age of five in Hong Kong’s hospitalized population were the most severely affected, accounting for 80 percent of the 1,147 patients admitted in February. Three of the four youngsters that died were below the age of five. A lack of previous interaction with other periodic coronaviruses, as well as immunization deprivation, may have contributed to the greatest impact on children under the age of five.
The study was published in The Lancet.
