Third wave may not impact children more

There have been fears that the third wave, when it befalls India, will impact children in a big way. They are the only segment of the population that is susceptible to the virus, with old people and adults having already been exposed. The other day, speaking to NDTV, Dr V Ravi, Head, Department of Neurovirology, NIMHANS, commented that children are more susceptible because we don’t have vaccines as yet for them. 

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However, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria has said that there is no enough evidence to say that the third wave will impact children more. In his interview to News18, he observed that the ace receptors to which covid binds itself to the human cells are relatively less in children as compared to adults. 

Elaborating more on the issue, the expert added that there is enough epidemiological evidence to suggest that even if the whole family is infected, it causes much milder disease in the children.

Going by this, the doctor feels that the next wave will spare children. 

For now, clinical trials are going on to test the available vaccine candidates on children. States like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are ramping up paediatric infrastructure in anticipation of the third wave.