Why Are Children Less Affected Than Adults?

By Shalini Ballur

Children only make up about 2% of the infected population when it comes to contracting COVID-19. This is an extremely low number and scientists have a few reasons behind this.

The Reason

Children tend to have stronger immune systems than adults. An adult’s reaction to the virus is something called a cytokine storm; it occurs to the majority of the population but not to everyone. A cytokine storm is when the body attacks its own cells and tissues by releasing cytokines into the blood at a rapid pace.

The immune system becomes destroyed, rendering it unable to fight off the virus.

This “storm” also harms certain organ systems as well as the lungs; once this occurs, it is irreversible. This usually happens in autoimmune diseases and is in no particular way unique to COVID-19. Babies don’t have a high death rate either for the reason that antibodies are given to the child from the placenta. Babies gain antibodies through feeding and it helps protect them from the virus. Children left in daycare or schools contract many kinds of viruses throughout the years. This serves as somewhat of a protective barrier and immunity from them catching the new virus, especially because of the abundance of antibodies gained from previous viruses.

The Dangers

However, even though children don’t tend to catch the virus, they still are able to spread it and at quick speed too. If a child were to become infected, they may unknowingly pass the virus to their friends and families since many children who have become infected showed little to no symptoms. When catching a regular virus, children will often have common symptoms like a fever, headache, or a runny nose, but instead these symptoms are showing up in adults rather than kids. Children are very active, so this will cause the virus to spread to a greater population at a quicker rate. Viruses can be spread so easily through means such as simply sneezing, coughing, talking, or even heavy breathing. A good way to prevent the spread is by frequently washing hands and social distancing.

Leibler, Soshea. “COVID-19: Why Are Children Less Affected?: Cedars-Sinai.” Cedars, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 13 May 2020, www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/covid19-why-are-children-less-affected/.