The coronavirus outbreak was first reported in China's Wuhan province on December 31, 2019. However, until January 22, no child under the age of 15 was infected, and this factor is perplexing medical experts.
Children may show milder symptoms than adults
A new study report published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that children might be less likely to become infected with coronavirus, or even if they are infected, they may show milder symptoms when compared to adults.
Since January 22, a nine-month-old girl in Beijing and a child in Germany were reportedly infected with coronavirus, but both the kids displayed no symptoms.
"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," Richard Martinello, an associate professor of infectious disease at the Yale School of Medicine, told Business Insider.
Experts believe that a low case count in children is a very good thing, as they are less likely to wash their hands, and cover their mouths. According to medical experts, if more children get infected with coronavirus, the outbreak may turn much more deadly than it is now.
Why children are less likely to get infected with coronavirus
Even though the real reason behind children's less susceptibility towards coronavirus is unknown, some medical experts believe that it is the caution taken by elders that is actually preventing children from getting infected.
"It's much easier to tell adults to practice common-sense good behaviors. If kids are sick, they still want to go snuggle with mummy or play with their siblings. When we see any new virus, the whole population is susceptible. We don't know that this virus tickles the respiratory tract of adults more than it does kids," said Aaron Milstone, professor of pediatrics at the John Hopkins University.
