Virologist: Children can spread covid19

STUDIES have shown that while young people and children are less likely to experience severe manifestations of  covid19, they get a similar viral load to adults and can therefore spread the virus just as quickly as adults.

Professor of molecular genetics and virology Dr Christine Carrington said it was therefore important to keep up with measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene, wearing masks and not touching faces.

She said contrary to information on social media, there was no scientific data to show different strains of the virus differed in infectivity or severity. She said unlike other respiratory viruses like influenza, covid19 has shown a low rate of mutation.

Prof Carrington said it has been shown that without interventions, one person will infect two to three others. The point of the intervention was to keep this number at less than one.

She supported calls for the elderly to get their annual flu shots, so they won't face the threat of fighting two viruses. She also urged elderly care homes to adhere to infection prevention control measures issued by government. Parents should ensure children continue to get their vaccines so other diseases are not re-introduced into the population.