Thread by @DrEricDing

Pediatric warning from Singapore health minister on the new #B1617 variant, first detected in India 🇮🇳, that it appears to affect children more, says 🇸🇬 Health Minister— this is why schools are taking a more cautious approach they say. #COVID19

2) “Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a press conference (May 16): “We know that there are many new strains of the Covid-19–there are various new mutations and some of these mutations are much more virulent and they seem to attack younger children.
todayonline.com/singapore/new-…

3) “So it is an area of concern for us, and the way we manage the situation must (be to) constantly keep abreast of such developments and pre-empt them where possible.”

4) “Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who co-chairs the task force, said: “The behaviour of the virus has not changed since last year, (in terms of just needing) one superspreading incident to spread to many.

5) “it is true that there has been literature showing that (the B1617 strain) is more virulent. Fundamentally, you’re looking at a very contagious virus.”

todayonline.com/singapore/new-…

6) Doctors in India where #B1617 varieties like #B16172 dominate also seeing much more severity in children… see thread 🧵

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1393699856812740608

7) “Today, many states are racing toward reopening, allowing even unvaccinated adults and children to congregate in places like churches, schools and stadiums, all while they record thousands of new infections each day.”

google.com/amp/s/www.nyda…

8) “There’s just one problem: The calculus has changed. Experience shows the B117 variant, now dominant strain in US, is more contagious than the original strain, and those who are infected by that variant are more likely to suffer from severe disease.” papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…

9) “This is not just true for adults, but children too. Classes, sports and other activities where children congregate are becoming superspreader events.

washingtonpost.com/health/2021/04…

10) “What’s worse is children 11 and under aren’t currently eligible for any of the vaccines, so they represent the best opportunities for the virus to continue spreading and mutating.”

11) “Also, new data shows children may suffer from long-term consequences of B117 infections. Even mild and asymptomatic children suffer. Months later, many are still significantly affected, even when it comes to normal activities. webmd.com/lung/news/2021…

12) “We must resist the willingness to accept risks that under different circumstances would seem unthinkable, because now our children are being threatened.”

13) here is the latest on the estimated approximate efficacy of Pfizer vaccine against #B16172 variant, according to an interview with the maker of the Pfizer vaccine.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1395802172554612739

14) This is what we need to do to ensure kids safety while they attend schools… CDC recommends ventilation and air disinfection. See detailed thread 🧵

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1365678603212648461

15) what is happening around the world is now also happening in heavily vaccinated UK. We must require masks, and add ventilation & air disinfection.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1396397770924232704