FACTS:
From the time the virus was first reported, December 31st 2019, up until January 22nd 2020, of all the thousands of infected, none were under the age of 15. It was only recently that a newborn infant was diagnosed with the novel corona-virus, due to its mother passing it on during childbirth. According to the CDC, scientists aren’t sure why that is, but some suspect it’s because children have a greater immunological response, so they’re more likely to trigger their bodies immune system earlier than adults to try and fight off infection.
QUOTES:
Richard Martinello, an associate professor of infectious disease at the Yale School of Medicine:
“From everything that we’ve seen, and for reasons that are unclear to us, it does seem that this is primarily impacting adults,” … “Some of the reports that have come out so far from China have been from adult hospitals and not pediatric hospitals, so it could just be that we’re not seeing that data yet.”
Aaron Milstone, an epidemiologist and professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University:
“If we can protect kids – one, it’s good for them, but two, it’s good for the population,” … “If it does penetrate the pediatric population, that might amplify the outbreak.” … “If we can keep this virus away from the pediatric population, it will help stem this,”
SOURCE:
To read the source study for this article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, click here.
