Children are significantly less likely to get seriously ill with Covid-19 because their immune systems can usually adapt better to the corona virus. This is now also confirmed by a small study from Singapore. Doctors took blood samples while the children were still acutely infected and repeated this one to three times after infection. The last samples were taken 16 months after the illness.
Small children have strong antibodies against corona early on
The 126 children and adolescents examined in the study were aged 0 to 16 years. All were mildly to moderately ill with Corona, none of the participants subsequently developed the serious complications PIMS or MISC. In all, the antibodies rose to the maximum value in the first to third months after infection. Nine to 13 months later, titers remained high and stable, regardless of how severe the symptoms of the acute illness had been. In some children, this condition persisted 14 to 16 months after infection.
The paediatricians saw a difference within the different age groups, especially during the acute infection. Here, small children formed faster and stronger neutralizing antibodies against the virus.
Children can carry out rapid tests themselves
Another current study also examined how good children and young people are at doing rapid corona tests. In the summer of 2021, US researchers compared the results of rapid tests that the children had carried out themselves with those that trained staff had carried out on 194 children aged four to 14 years. The children had previously received a video and written instructions for the tests.
Results: 87 children tested positive both themselves and by staff, while 105 children tested negative. Only two children did not match the tests. According to the trained health workers, children under the age of eight in particular had difficulties with the tests. However, the evaluation showed that this had apparently not been reflected in the results.