470 children under the age of ten have been infected with COVID-19 in Bengaluru

Since the beginning of March, over 470 children under the age of ten have been infected with COVID-19 in Bengaluru, which is experiencing an outbreak. From March 1 to March 26, a total of 244 boys and 228 girls were infected, according to official statistics. Children’s cases were limited to eight to nine a day at the beginning of the month, but they gradually rose to 46 on March 26.

Kids, unlike in the past, are now vulnerable, according to some researchers, because they are more exposed to outdoor events, functions, and gatherings, as well as schools reopening for a particular age group.

Dr. Giridhara R Babu, Professor, and Head of Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India, told PTI that they used to be safe, Because of the opening of schools, there is a growing amount of exposure of youngsters, as well as a large number of events and gatherings. But now that they are exposed to some of these incidents, and their risk has increased significantly.

The epidemiologist, who is also a member of the state’s Covid-19 technical advisory committee, claims that children can be spreaders among family members in many situations. When children go to school or participate in physical activities, they are more likely to catch the virus from others and transmit it to others, such as family members and peers, he said.

Children are also vulnerable, according to officials, because it is difficult for them to maintain physical distance and wear masks for long periods of time. Given the fact that most children under the age of ten do not attend kindergarten, they are likely to come into contact with other children who are disadvantaged when engaging in recreational activities such as playing in playgrounds or parks, He explained.

We have recommended closing schools for students other than those who have public exams as one of the steps to monitor the spread of children, Babu said. He also added that we have also recommended that children should be transferred to the next grade without review, but the government still has to make a decision.

Active cases rose to 19,553 on Thursday, with 2,566 new cases added, taking the total number of Covid cases in the state to 9,81,044, while 9,48,988 were recovered, with 1,207 patients discharged after treatment during the day.