Thread by @fascinatorfun

PROF Rudo Mathivha. Frontline ICU Physician in 🇿🇦 . One hospital in Tshwane. Admitting 5-10 children under 12 at a time
The children are coming in with moderate to severe disease. Coming in needing supportive oxygen & therapy.

Not like earlier waves

“Yesterday we lost a 15yr old healthy child. No underlying condition. Nothing we could do stopped the rapid deterioration.”

17 yr old intubated

Hospitals are not designed for a multitude of v sick children

Must take measures to prevent transmission in children too.

She also says they have large numbers of young adults, largely unvaccinated and appeals to them to get vaccinated to help break the chains of transmission.

I am not clear whether the suggestion is that there is something about this particular variant that is intrinsically more serious for children especially, or simply that they are catching Covid in such large numbers that admissions are increasing a lot.

Right now the age profile of adult admissions is markedly skewed to the young generally compared to earlier waves. And fewer ending up in ICU ( but ? Is that changing in recent days?)

Is this because prior infection + vaccination is conferring a reasonable level of protection?

Or is it because the omicron virus has yet to reach older and maybe more vulnerable in large numbers?

The next few weeks will tell.

Some more data from @KillBrexitNow on child admissions in Gauteng.

The problem is we have no vaccine for that v young age group. And, neither in the U.K. nor SA have authorised it for 5-11 yr olds either.

https://twitter.com/KillBrexitNow/status/1467453717406531585