According to the Mumbai city civic administration, a pediatric sero-survey done before the expected third wave of the pandemic found that 51.18 percent of children aged 1 to 18 years in Mumbai have developed antibodies against coronavirus.
From April 1 to June 15, a total of 2,176 blood samples were collected from 24 wards around the city for this research. According to the research, total seropositivity among paediatric patients is 51.18 percent, with 54.36 percent from the public sector and 47.03 percent from the private sector.
“We decided to conduct a sero survey for the paediatric population, so we took blood samples of approximately 2,200 children across Mumbai. The result shows more than 51% children under 18 years developed antibodies, which implies that even if they are infected, it will not be that severe for them. Having said that, we still have to maintain covid appropriate behaviour, wear masks and avoid crowds,” said BMC Additional Commissioner, Suresh Kakani.
“We continue to have our jumbo facilities despite cases being low, and the additions we are making in our health infrastructure, which will be ready in a month, will have dedicated paediatric wards,” he added.
Seropositivity rates for children aged 1 to 4 years are 51.04 percent, 5 to 9 years are 47.33 percent, 10 to 14 years are 53.43 percent, and 15 to 18 years are 51.39 percent. The age range of 10 to 14 years has the highest level of seropositivity.
The data also suggests that seropositivity among children has grown considerably since the last serosurvey in March 21, indicating that a large number of children using healthcare facilities were exposed to COVID-19 during the second wave.
While the study suggests that the third wave will not have the same negative influence on youngsters as previously thought, experts continue to emphasize the need of maintaining one’s guard and adhering to covid proper behavior and mask discipline.
