<p>A day after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava suggested reopening primary schools after ring immunisation, the state health department's data revealed that as many as 1.88 lakh kids were infected in the past four months accounting for 10 per cent of the total Covid infections reported from March to June.</p>.<p>Out of these children, 1,212 died of Covid complications. Paediatricians suggested that though the nationwide ICMR serosurvey found more than half of the surveyed paediatric population to have already been exposed to the virus, parents still need to keep their children's guard up as these figures only suggest infection among those tested.</p>.<p>Besides, only 36 children from three districts of the state were part of the national serosurvey. While 18,91,775 people got infected in the state in four months between March 1 and June 29, 1,88,612 (9.97 per cent) of them were children.</p>.<p>Paediatrician Dr Shrikanta J T, a member of the state high-level expert committee for the prevention and management of Covid third wave, said, in the first wave 8 per cent of those infected were children which have seen a proportional increase by 2 per cent this wave as the number of cases were also high.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-teachers-to-be-vaccinated-to-facilitate-reopening-of-schools-1011354.html" target="_blank">Karnataka teachers to be vaccinated to facilitate reopening of schools</a></strong></p>.<p>As per the department's data, 81,596 children were infected in the first wave till February 28, this year, and 118 died. "Deaths in paediatric population are low. From our hospital subgroup analysis of why they died, we found comorbidities like type 1 diabetes, obesity or neurological conditions," he said.</p>.<p>The ICMR national survey found that out of 2,892 surveyed in the 6-9 age-group, seroprevalence was 57.2 per cent and among 5,799 surveyed in the 10-17 age-group, 61.6 per cent.</p>.<p>"Even though the entire paediatric population is unvaccinated, the mortality is less and symptoms are milder. That is why the ICMR is suggesting opening primary schools provided ring immunisation is done (school staff and parents are vaccinated)," he said. However, epidemiologist Dr Giridhar Babu said it indicates a higher risk of infection for children in the next wave.</p>.<p>"The absolute numbers are scary. We should be careful in interpreting this data and not jump the gun in opening schools immediately. For the parents of more than 1,200 children lost to Covid, it is devastating. The sample size for children in the national serosurvey is not representative unless an exclusive survey is done among children in the state," he said.</p>.<p>"This itself is a warning signal as losing even one child to Covid is not an option. The government should think about saving even these lives by creating biosecure bubbles of vaccinated people around them," he added.</p>
<p>A day after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava suggested reopening primary schools after ring immunisation, the state health department's data revealed that as many as 1.88 lakh kids were infected in the past four months accounting for 10 per cent of the total Covid infections reported from March to June.</p>.<p>Out of these children, 1,212 died of Covid complications. Paediatricians suggested that though the nationwide ICMR serosurvey found more than half of the surveyed paediatric population to have already been exposed to the virus, parents still need to keep their children's guard up as these figures only suggest infection among those tested.</p>.<p>Besides, only 36 children from three districts of the state were part of the national serosurvey. While 18,91,775 people got infected in the state in four months between March 1 and June 29, 1,88,612 (9.97 per cent) of them were children.</p>.<p>Paediatrician Dr Shrikanta J T, a member of the state high-level expert committee for the prevention and management of Covid third wave, said, in the first wave 8 per cent of those infected were children which have seen a proportional increase by 2 per cent this wave as the number of cases were also high.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-teachers-to-be-vaccinated-to-facilitate-reopening-of-schools-1011354.html" target="_blank">Karnataka teachers to be vaccinated to facilitate reopening of schools</a></strong></p>.<p>As per the department's data, 81,596 children were infected in the first wave till February 28, this year, and 118 died. "Deaths in paediatric population are low. From our hospital subgroup analysis of why they died, we found comorbidities like type 1 diabetes, obesity or neurological conditions," he said.</p>.<p>The ICMR national survey found that out of 2,892 surveyed in the 6-9 age-group, seroprevalence was 57.2 per cent and among 5,799 surveyed in the 10-17 age-group, 61.6 per cent.</p>.<p>"Even though the entire paediatric population is unvaccinated, the mortality is less and symptoms are milder. That is why the ICMR is suggesting opening primary schools provided ring immunisation is done (school staff and parents are vaccinated)," he said. However, epidemiologist Dr Giridhar Babu said it indicates a higher risk of infection for children in the next wave.</p>.<p>"The absolute numbers are scary. We should be careful in interpreting this data and not jump the gun in opening schools immediately. For the parents of more than 1,200 children lost to Covid, it is devastating. The sample size for children in the national serosurvey is not representative unless an exclusive survey is done among children in the state," he said.</p>.<p>"This itself is a warning signal as losing even one child to Covid is not an option. The government should think about saving even these lives by creating biosecure bubbles of vaccinated people around them," he added.</p>
