NSW Covid: Delta spreading among Sydney children

The Delta variant is spreading more easily among children than in the initial Covid outbreak with more than 30 per cent infected this week aged under 19.

The Delta variant is spreading more easily among children and adolescents than in the initial coronavirus outbreak with more than 30 per cent infected this week aged under 19.

Alarming figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph reveal of the 345 cases declared on Wednesday, 44 were aged nine or under and 70 were aged between 10 and 19.

The trend has persisted throughout the week, with around 30 per cent of cases under the age of 19.

Figures show older vaccinated Australians are catching the virus at a more sluggish rate.

Infectious diseases expert Professor Tony Cunningham said the figures highlight a need for Australia to extend its immunisation program to younger children from the age of 12.

“It is alarming and may mean this will need to be included in the childhood immunisation schedule in the future,” Prof Cunningham said.

The Delta variant is spreading more easily among children than in the initial Covid outbreak.

He said the impact of Covid among younger children was not yet clear nor was their susceptibility to long Covid, a variation of the respiratory illness which impacts about 20 per cent of cases and is marked by severe long-term symptoms.

“It’s generally said that, with Delta, young kids are still not getting acute disease.

“Certainly, we are seeing disease which we never saw in the previous strain affecting people in their 20s. I think this is very likely to extend down to adolescence,” he said.

He added that the comparison between children and those aged 70-79 showed the effectiveness of vaccines.

“It really emphasises that if you’re not immunised, that ultimately over a period of year or two you are likely to be infected by this virus. (This virus) is probably the second most infectious virus we have encountered apart from measles. You need to get about 90-95 per immunisation to get past measles.”

The impact of Covid among younger children is not yet clear.

In NSW’s current outbreak, 360 children aged under 10 were infected with COVID-19 in the five week period ending 26 July amounting to nine per cent of cases.

Since the first confirmed cases in late January 2020, 1127 boys aged nine and under and 1021 girls in the same age bracket tested positive to the virus, according to the Government’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

Among teenagers aged 10-19, 1660 boys and 1575 girls counted among the confirmed cases Australia-wide.

The greater transmissibility of the Delta strain combined with rising cases in the community have seen outbreaks at child care centres and playgrounds.

In June, a two-year-old who attended Little Zak’s childcare in Narellan Vale tested positive to the strain.

A two-year-old at Little Zak’s childcare in Narellan Vale tested positive to the strain. Picture: Jonathan Ng

NSW chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant urged adults in affected areas to wear masks at all times outdoors and for children not to mingle.

“If you are going to playgrounds don‘t encourage children to do that social thing of playing with other children. Keep people separate,” Dr Chant said.

Last month Pfizer‘s COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children aged 12 to 15 after it was deemed safe by Australia’s medical regulator, The Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The Government‘s expert immunisation panel is considering immediate inclusion of vulnerable children in the vaccine rollout.