Childhood Infection Is Underestimated and Preventable

Published on January 10, 2022

Infection in Children Is Underestimated and Preventable, and Many Children Get Long COVID

Guidance

The science behind safer indoor gatherings – why COVID is Airborne (WHN – in English, Filipino, Français, Deutsch, Español)

Resources

Omicron

Upward trend in pediatric hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 in New York. Health Advisory (NYSDOH), Record breaking 4,000 US children hospitalized (Washington Post), COVID-19 cases among US children have reached 325,000, the highest case count ever reported since the start of the pandemic. (American Academy of Pediatrics)

A single-day increase of 179,000 cases in India. India reports highest caseload in over 222 days (The Hindu)

“Don’t lower your guard just because many public health officials have characterized symptoms of Omicron as ‘mild.’”

How citizens should respond to Omicron (The Tyee)

Approximately 6% of total population in England are currently infected. Coronavirus Infection Survey headline results (UK Office for National Statistics)

1,000 faculty at U. Michigan demand to teach online, defying order from president Mark Schlissel, citing concerns that in-person instruction increases risk of COVID-19. Michigan Faculty Members Will Teach Online (Inside Higher Ed)

We keep making the same six pandemic mistakes over and over again.

Omicron Is Our Past Pandemic Mistakes on Fast-Forward (The Atlantic)

Fatigue and the need to recover cited as primary themes to empower and protect health care workers during Omicron surge.

We must protect the health and wellbeing of the public health workforce (BMJ)

Hong Kong rolls out tough measures to combat Omicron. (SCMP)

Analysis of spatiotemporal dynamics of Omicron spread throughout the 9 provinces of South Africa. (Travel Medicine & Infectious Disease)

Immunity due to vaccines and infections reduced by Omicron variant, and there are indications of a shift in the mechanism of entry into cells. (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research)

Policy

Large-scale Coronavirus mortality of parents and caregivers may have severe unrecognized consequences for children, with most disadvantaged hit hardest.

COVID-19–Associated Orphanhood and Caregiver Death in the United States (Pediatrics)

Scientists call for coordinated “Vaccine-Plus” approach in the face of Omicron, adding masking, ventilation, filtration, TTI, and vaccine equity to measures deemed essential to a successful global response. An urgent call for “vaccines-plus” action (BMJ)

“…high incidence strategies almost certainly lead to the very consequences that they seek to avoid: restrictions that harm people and economies.”

The benefits, costs and feasibility of a low incidence COVID-19 strategy (Lancet Reg. Health – Europe)

Review: Successful pre-Omicron response of South Korea compared to V4 nations with combination of well-functioning surveillance, comprehensive testing, innovative contact tracing system, transparent government communication, and a coordinated public health system (Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease)

Economy

Analysis suggests long-term economic benefits of eliminating risk of infection through effective lockdowns may outweigh short-term economic costs, effects of voluntary social distancing significant. Dissecting the economic effects of lockdown (IMF)

COVID-19 shock may have lasting negative effects on the labor market unless risk of infection is eliminated. Pandemic and employment: Evidence from COVID-19 in South Korea. (Journal of Asian Economics)

South Korean study finds the higher the rate of COVID-19, the higher the unemployment. Geographic spread of COVID-19 and local economies in South Korea. (J. Regional Sci)

Sovereign wealth funds play unprecedented roles in nations’ pandemic response.

Direct investments from SWFs reach five-year high to stabilize economies (IFSWF)

Mitigation

Twice weekly staff antigen testing at Singapore’s 1200 bed National University Hospital. Serial antigen rapid testing in staff of a large acute hospital (Lancet Infectious Diseases)

Long-COVID symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of 809,000 people in the UK. 6 January 2022 (ONS)

Correcting notification delay and forecasting of COVID-19 data. (Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications)

How wastewater surveillance databases support public health decision-making.

Making Waves: Collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 (Water Research)

Combining mobility patterns with search data allows early detection of outbreaks.

Early warning of COVID-19 hotspots using human mobility and web search query data (Computers, Environment and Urban Systems)

In Community,

-The WHN