Coronavirus generally causes a mild or asymptomatic disease for children under 12 – vaccination of adults also protects children
Approximately 15% of all coronavirus infections confirmed in Finland during the entire epidemic have been diagnosed in children under 12 years of age. Of all the infections, 4% were diagnosed in children of 0–4 years of age and 11% in children of 5–11 years of age. These statistics are presented in the working paper published by THL.
In the past, the proportion of infections among those under 12 years of age has varied according to epidemic waves. Their proportion has increased in recent weeks as infection pressure increases. Children’s proportion of all cases is mostly affected by the fact that a majority of adults have been vaccinated.
“Of the coronavirus infections confirmed last week (week 46), 27% were diagnosed in children under 12 years of age," says Emmi Sarvikivi, Chief Physician at THL.
Based on contact tracing data, children under 12 years of age are most commonly infected with coronavirus by their family and other persons close to them.
"This means that the vaccination of adults also protects children," says Sarvikivi.
Very few severe cases in children diagnosed in Finland
Very few severe cases of the disease in children under the age of 12 have been diagnosed in Finland, and so far there are no deaths associated with coronavirus.
In the light of the information gathered during the epidemic, children infected by coronavirus are most likely to suffer from a mild or asymptomatic form of the disease.
"Coronavirus patients under 12 years of age have not increased the burden of hospital care or health services in Finland despite them being unvaccinated," says Sarvikivi.
According to the health care register data, a total of 113 children under 12 years of age had been treated in hospital inpatient wards by 21 November 2021. Of them, 56% were under one year old.
"The situation is similar for other respiratory tract viruses. Hospitalisation of infants under one year of age is very common compared to other children. For example, there is a low threshold to take children under three months of age with a fever in for monitoring to exclude a life-threatening bacterial infection. On the other hand, respiratory distress is a common symptom of viral infection in infants under one year of age,” Sarvikivi continues.
In addition to the register data, THL studied the situation of children’s hospitalisation through a survey directed at paediatric units in central and university hospitals.
The study found that by the end of October 2021 less than five children under 12 years of age in the entire country had been in intensive care due to coronavirus. Due to prolonged symptoms related to coronavirus, a total of nine persons under 16 years of age were examined in specialised medical care.
When a society is open, the coronavirus circulates in the population in the same way as other respiratory tract viruses.
"The most important way to control the epidemic is to vaccinate adults. Almost 20% of people over the age of 12 are not vaccinated, and their role in the spread of the epidemic is clearly greater than that of those under the age of 12. Restrictive measures specifically directed at children do not significantly restrict adult infections,” says Sarvikivi.
Coronavirus home tests can also be used on children
The coronavirus testing strategy was amended in autumn 2021, as the coronavirus vaccination progressed well.
It is also known that children have mild symptoms of respiratory tract infection caused by numerous viruses other than the coronavirus during the autumn and winter infection season.
For these reasons, the coronavirus testing recommendation was updated in September 2021 so that testing children under 12 years of age is no longer automatically recommended for infections with mild symptoms, but only when it is known that the child has been exposed to coronavirus, there are unvaccinated persons over 16 years of age in the family or there are other specific reasons to suspect a coronavirus infection. Now that the circulation of the virus in the population is high, more exposures occur and there cannot always be certainty concerning the exposures.
"A child with respiratory tract symptoms can also be tested at home using, for example, a rapid test sold at pharmacies. If the result is positive, it must be confirmed by a coronavirus test in health care services," Sarvikivi advises.
A home test is not a substitute for a coronavirus test performed by health care services. No decisions concerning treatment will be made nor will a person be exempted from isolation or quarantine ordered by a communicable disease control physician based on the results of a home test.
Further information:
Emmi Sarvikivi
Chief Physician
THL
[email protected]
