CAPE TOWN - There is a need to ensure high compliance when it comes to non pharmaceutical interventions in households and schools to safeguard children from Covid-19, especially in those with underlying conditions.
This as there were close to 200 000 positive Covid-19 tests among children and adolescents, and the numbers of those tested, diagnosed, and admitted had increased during the third wave, a new surveillance report by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases found.
The report looked at laboratory testing and epidemiology and clinical characteristics of laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases among children and adolescents aged 19 years and under, between March 1, 2020 and August 28, 2021.
“There have been 2.2 million tests among individuals aged 19 (and under) with a 15.8% percentage testing positive, 184 187 laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases aged 19 (and under), 17 184 reported Covid-19- associated admissions and 565 Covid-19-related deaths during the surveillance period,” the report states.
“The majority of the tests among individuals aged 19 years (and under) were in five provinces: Gauteng (27.8%), KwaZulu-Natal (24.8%), Western Cape (12.2%), Eastern Cape (11.5%) and Free State (6.9%), together accounting for 80.9% of all tests.”
During the third wave, the report found that the testing rate had increased in all ages in the under 19 age group, with the 15 to19 year age group peaking in weeks 26 and 33 of 2021. Between weeks 27 and 33, the percentage testing positive among ten to 14 years or 15-19 years surpassed that of individuals over 19.
201 deaths (35.6%) were among adolescents aged 15-19 years and 108 (19.1%) were aged under one. Among 324 (57.3%) in-hospital deaths, with available data on underlying conditions, 168 (51.9%) reported more than one underlying condition.
Given their findings, the authors called for vaccination in children.
“While there remains a need to maintain heightened vigilance and consistent implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions within schools and to discourage community and mass gatherings involving young people, vaccination in children – especially older children of 15 to 18 years – may need to be prioritised to close the immunity gap.”
Meanwhile, health officials on Thursday confirmed the province was still in the third wave and on track to exit by September 27, as case numbers continued decreasing.
Health department, chief of operations, Dr Saadiq Kariem said: All indicators are trending down quite sharply; our oxygen indicators are going down quite sharply. There is a reduction in week on week admissions by 36%. The proportion positivity has decreased. In terms of the downward trend, we are currently seeing approximately 1 000 new cases daily.”
The province recorded an average hospital admission rate of 170 cases per day at present and around 52 new deaths each day.
“The province will have officially exited the third wave once we reach a daily caseload of approximately 530 cases a day or 15% of cases compared to the peak of the third wave,” Premier Alan Winde added.
The Western Cape has vaccinated, with at least one dose, approximately 36.6% of its adult population, with a total of 1 821 815 vaccinations completed by Wednesday.
Cape Times