Children contributing to spread and evolution of COVID-19: research
New research suggests that children are contributing to how quickly COVID-19 variants evolve due to new evidence of how they can spread the virus.
Several U.S hospitals and medical schools studied data from Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. They examined age, symptom duration and the severity of the illness in children.
“In the initial stages (of the pandemic) we thought children younger than eight would be less likely to spread (COVID-19),” said Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician. “That theory has been debunked over and over.
“We see in this particular study that children carry very high viral loads within their respiratory passages and that’s one of the factors in transmitting COVID.”
Children tend to be less likely to have severe COVID-19 symptoms, but they are able to spread it to someone more likely to have a severe outcome, according to Ladha.
“It’s so important to address the transmission of COVID amongst kids, because many people say if children are less likely to get severe side effects, why do we need to vaccinate them, why do we need to implement safety measures in schools for them,” said Ladha.
“If we don’t control transmission among children the virus will continue to circulate, it will continue to mutate and it will continue to infect the whole community, not just the children.”
Ladha is calling for more measures in schools to decrease transmission, including mandatory quarantining for close contacts of positive cases, more rapid testing and mask mandates in Kindergarten to Grade 3 children.
“There’s a number of gaps where transmission can occur and is occurring and we see that by the number of outbreaks that have been declared and the number of students that have been infected and, frankly, by the number of patients I am seeing in clinic right now that have COVID,” said Ladha.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.