Covid-19 cases among children in Mumbai rises tenfold in 10 days

A child waits with a relative to enter Siddhivinayak temple on Saturday. Pic/Atul Kamble

The number of COVID-19 cases among children rose tenfold in the past 10 days, but continues to remain about 10 per cent of the overall infections in the city. Among 23,799 patients confirmed to be COVID-positive from December 22 to 31 (as per BMC), 2,228 (only 9.86 per cent) were children.

Since July, children have been accounting for 10-11 per cent of total cases.

A woman masks up her child at LTT, Kurla. File pic

Most of the infected children are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. "Even though the cases have increased among children, most of them are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic," said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner of the BMC, urging the parents to get their children vaccinated to increase antibodies against the virus.

The surge in COVID-19 infections has been recorded amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus.

The city reported about 20-22 cases every day among children until December 22, however, thereafter, the daily figure surged ten-fold to 223. From December 22 to 31, the city registered 414 cases among children below the age of 9 years and 1,814 cases among those aged 10-19 years.

During the first wave, 18,094 children 18 years and below were infected between March 2020 and February 2021, accounting for 5.7 per cent of the total cases. The figure rose to 13 per cent in June during the second wave and later dropped to 10 per cent.

The third serosurvey, conducted in June, revealed that over 51 per cent of children had COVID-19 antibodies.

The state government and local bodies decided to reopen schools for students of Std VIII to Std X from October 4, and for Std I onwards from December 15. The COVID-19 infection rate among children remained low even then.

223
No. of daily cases among kids from Dec 22 to 31

22
No. of daily cases among kids until Dec 22

Must keep eye on very young kids

Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor of medicine, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, said, "Keeping in mind future COVID-19 waves, it is important to be vigilant about kids." Quoting a UNICEF study published on December 09, 2021, he said, "The pandemic has had an impact on poverty, health, access to educa-tion, nutrition, protection and mental well-being of kids." He also quoted a August 11, 2021, study from ‘Science Advances' journal which predicted that the pandemic could turn into an endemic and primarily infect children, thereby shifting risk from older people to toddlers, who are too young to be vaccinated.

- Vinod Kumar Menon