When COVID-19 first emerged, public health experts noted that old people seemed more susceptible to the disease.
More old people were getting infected and dying from the disease.
While this was no consolation, many parents were relieved to learn that their children were less likely to get severely ill from the virus.
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However, this may no longer be the case.
B1617 Appears to Be Affecting Younger Children More
The B1617 strain, commonly known as the double-mutant variant, appears to be affecting younger children more, the COVID-19 task force said.
To know more about why viruses mutate, watch this video to the end:
Of the many new mutations currently spreading, some are more contagious and seem to attack younger children, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said.
“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,” he added.
This increased virulence may be one of the reasons the task force decided to close all schools and shift to home-based learning from 19 May to 28 May – the end of the school term.
Unlinked Infections in Schools & Tuition Centres
Another reason is that the number of community cases has skyrocketed in the past week, and unlinked cases have shot up as well, some of whom are students and pupils in private tuition centres.
Due to the behaviour of the new COVID-19 strain, MOE acted “very fast”, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said, to shift schools to home-based learning and carry out widespread testing, unlike last year.
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However, Mr Chan said there’s been no “conclusive” evidence of transmission within the schools, as all the detected infections of students have been outside schools.
COVID-19 May Be Around Forever
Mr Chan said that Singapore “must be prepared to live in a world where COVID-19 could be endemic”, meaning the virus might stick around much like the flu, and become something we learn to live with.
One strategy to deal with this is to vaccinate younger people, he said.
Currently, only residents aged 16 and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe for children, Mr Ong said.
“They did not test on enough children of that age group (in clinical trials) and, therefore, it is not approved internationally to be used on children.”
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This has since changed, however, and in some countries, the vaccine is being administered to those between 12 and 15 years old.
Let’s hope the virus doesn’t stick around for too long, however, so students can return to schools, and we can return to coffee shops.
Reader: You mean workplaces?
Sure, let’s go with that.
Featured Image: huntergol hp / Shutterstock.com
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