Opinion of an immunologist about COVID-19 in children.
He believes that children must be vaccinated before attending school in person.
While that is his opinion as an immunologist, there are several pitfalls here.
I had done a detailed thread earlier. Will link it below.👇
He believes that children must be vaccinated before attending school in person.
While that is his opinion as an immunologist, there are several pitfalls here.
I had done a detailed thread earlier. Will link it below.👇
https://twitter.com/fitterhappierAJ/status/1446960429251575814
Whether Children should be vaccinated before attending school is a topic where not everyone agrees upon.
In other words this is not a binary topic; which means that a “yes or no” answer is not relevant.
That is why the opinion of doctors who take care of patients matter.
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In other words this is not a binary topic; which means that a “yes or no” answer is not relevant.
That is why the opinion of doctors who take care of patients matter.
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Experience in my part of India on the ground has overwhelmingly stated the following facts.
1. Regardless of what immunology says, the chance that a child will fall sick from COVID-19 is so rare - it is much rarer than chance of death from many routine things in life.
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1. Regardless of what immunology says, the chance that a child will fall sick from COVID-19 is so rare - it is much rarer than chance of death from many routine things in life.
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In Kerala the chance of surviving Covid 19 in children = 99.992%, which basically is as close to certainty as it could possibly get.
The few children who not do well, are those with comorbidities who can easily be identified and special strategies planned for.
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The few children who not do well, are those with comorbidities who can easily be identified and special strategies planned for.
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Immunology notwithstanding, long Covid is ~absent in Kerala. When I say absent, 22 out of 25 paediatricians who each see thousands of patients have all said they’ve not seen a case. The opinion of a paediatrician is the most important in this matter.
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Out of the 25 pediatricians, only one doctor saw a slight uptick in long Covid like symptoms in his practice.
Another doctor saw just one case of pre-existing IBS possibly aggravated by Covid 19.
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Another doctor saw just one case of pre-existing IBS possibly aggravated by Covid 19.
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This is the reason why it is important to observe and also LISTEN to people rather than just look at publications.
The reason is, publications contain filtered information. This is not to discount the value of publications; but they only form a fraction of knowledge.
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The reason is, publications contain filtered information. This is not to discount the value of publications; but they only form a fraction of knowledge.
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For instance the immunologist says that “Reinfection could be more severe”.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The severity of reinfections are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic at worst. This again is the problem of relying on single case reports.
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Nothing could be further from the truth.
The severity of reinfections are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic at worst. This again is the problem of relying on single case reports.
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The case report quoted here was that of a 66-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities in whom the first infection was suspect to start with -basically an asymptomatic case with an extremely low viral load.
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Vaccination among children is not without risks. No matter how much denial is done by the so-called experts, vaccines are not 100% benign products.
The equation of giving such a product to a person who is older is not the same as giving to someone with very very low risk.
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The equation of giving such a product to a person who is older is not the same as giving to someone with very very low risk.
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Instead, it is important to add as many layers of protection as possible for children, which also includes vaccination for those with selected comorbidities.
Schools need to open in a phased manner.
Because the risk of keeping them closed is higher than opening them.
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Schools need to open in a phased manner.
Because the risk of keeping them closed is higher than opening them.
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I will link a detailed thread below, but will add that vaccinating children is unlikely to stop spread of infection. In a classroom, there will be breakthrough infections - as was evidenced by the Texas prison outbreak secondary attack rate of 70% among fully the vaccinated.
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see thread above👆 for context
https://twitter.com/RajeevJayadevan/status/1446441697060085900
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