HYDERABAD: A survey carried out by the NIN has found children to be the weakest group in Telangana with the lowest immunity. According to the survey, children in the 6-9 year age group had seropositivity levels of only 67.3 per cent. Children in the age group of 10 to 17 have seropositivity of 77.5 per cent.
This is markedly lower than the general population whose seropositivity average is at 92.9 per cent in the State and implies that while the vast majority of children did catch the virus, somewhere between 35-40 per cent did not get affected at all and had no immunity to the SARS COV-2 virus.
These numbers are crucial in light of what is occurring in Delhi, where a large number of children are testing positive after attending physical schools. The sero-survey now exposes that this possibility remains highly likely in Telangana as well where children can test positive in large numbers, even if the infection could be mild.
It is owing to this that Director of Public Health Dr GS Rao stressed on the need for children between 12 to 17 to take the vaccines --- COBOVAX or Covishield -- they are eligible for.However, children below 12 years of age remain susceptible, posing a major challenge for schools and parents.