Up to 50,000 children could get infected in coming months, expert warns

Up to 50,000 children aged 12 to 18 will get infected with Covid-19 in Greece in the coming months, a health expert warned on Wednesday, while emphasizing the need for vaccination to stop the spread.

Speaking on Mega TV on Wednesday, Nikos Tzanakis, an expert in respiratory disease and vice president of the Hellenic Thoracic Society, said the number of children aged 12-18 in the country is between 730,000 and 750,000. He added that according to scientific predictions an estimated 180,000 to 200,000 will be exposed to the virus.

“According to conservative estimates, 25 percent, that is approximately 30,000 to 50,000 children, will be infected,” Tzanakis said, adding that according to available data around 1 percent, or between 300 and 500 children, will need hospital treatment.

“I don’t want to scare anybody here, but parents should be aware of these figures,” Tzanakis said. 

“In addition, they should know that chances of serious complications from vaccination are one in 500,000,” he said.

The school year started on Monday and about 1.3 million pupils and 140,000 teachers went back to the classes after the previous year was disrupted by the pandemic and online schooling became the norm.