Kids as likely as adults to catch, spread Covid

With the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 starting on Wednesday, scientists are urging parents to schedule an appointment, stressing that youngsters “catch and transmit Covid-19 like adults.” It is indicative that since May, when many activities restarted, and with the onslaught of the Delta variant of the coronavirus and increased checks at schools, there has been a sixfold rise in cases among children. 

“There has been a recent increase in cases in children. At the beginning of October, 25% of cases were in children aged 4-18. Now the percentage has risen to 29%,” Maria Tsolia, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases, told Kathimerini.

National Public Health Organization data show people aged up to 17 who have contracted Covid now exceed 169,000 and constitute 17.2% of cases since the pandemic began. By May, 26,000 cases had been reported in the same age group (7.6% of cases by then).