Omicron does not attack adults and children in the same way. The main strain of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the world is more virulent than the previous ones in the youngest, reveals a Quebec study on the subject.
“Omicron did not lead to more deaths or hospitalizations, but did lead to more need for investigations, more x-rays, more need for medications like corticosteroid, more hydration,” one of the authors states. of the study, Simon Berthelot, specialist and researcher in emergency medicine at the Laval University Hospital Center (CHUL).
This dominant variant has been described as “relatively less dangerous” than its predecessors. This conclusion does not apply to children, notes the researcher: “Children are not small adults to whom one can indiscriminately apply what research shows for older groups of people. »
The original strain, the Alpha variant and the Delta variant caused cold-like symptoms in them, says Dr.r Berthelot. The nose, throat and the entire “upper respiratory system” were then mainly targeted by the virus.
Omicron attacks the body more deeply. Pain in the bronchi and lungs, cough, fever and shortness of breath are observed more in children since this variant dominates COVID-19 infections.
Some 1,440 patients admitted to 14 pediatric emergency departments in Canada were surveyed to obtain these data. Nearly 85% of the young people consulted were not vaccinated at the time of the research.
Emergency room readmissions reached 19% for children infected with the Omicron variant, compared to 17% and 10% respectively for those infected with the Alpha and Delta variants. On the other hand, the percentage of cases requiring a transfer to intensive care remained stable, regardless of the variant involved.
All in all, Omicron remains generally benign for children. No deaths were attributed to this virus in the study, and only one person was admitted to intensive care among the 468 patients affected by Omicron.
Parents should watch for the same symptoms as before to determine the need to see a doctor, says Dr.r Berthelot. “Is my child able to drink? Does he feel good? Does he play? After lowering the temperature with Tylenol, does Advil feel good? »