Infant infected with Covid currently in hospital in Victoria as cases rise

An infant is now one of dozens of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 in Victoria as case numbers continue to rise.

An infant is now one of dozens of patients hospitalised with Covid in Victoria as case numbers continue to rise.

There is growing concern the Delta variant is severely affecting younger age groups, with 21 of the 29 people currently hospitalised under the age of 50.

The highly infectious variant is behaving differently among young people compared to previous strains of the virus.

Victoria’s Covid-19 testing head Jeroen Weimar told reporters on Monday it was worrying to see an infant in hospital in such a serious condition.

“It is a very young child in hospital, not stable,” Mr Weimar said.

“It was of concern to see a young child in hospital sick with Covid.”

The Delta strain is spreading rapidly within younger age groups. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Victoria recorded 71 new cases on Monday with a total of 494 people in the state infected during the ongoing outbreak.

There are nine people within the state’s intensive care units, including five on a ventilator.

Mr Weimar confirmed all of the people in ICU were under the age of 60 and none had been vaccinated.

The demographic includes one person in their 20s, one in their 30s, five in their 40s, and two in their 50s.

“This is a very young age profile for an ICU unit,” Mr Weimar said.

“We have seen a significant impact on our health services and that is one of the challenges with more widespread Covid community transmission that we’re now starting to see.

“Nobody in this state is safe or immune from this,” Mr Weimar said.

Victoria's Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said no age groups were immune. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

The Delta variant in affecting younger age groups more than previous strains.

Of the 494 Victorians who have been infected in the current outbreak, 112 are children under the age of 10, 100 are people aged between the ages of 10 and 19 and a further 79 are in their 20s.

Epidemiologist Catherine Bennett told the ABC the new variant was behaving differently among young people than previous strains.

“We’re seeing the virus get into schools, and transmission in schools, and that was actually very unusual with the original variants we had,” Professor Bennett said.

“There is concern the virus is better able to establish an infection in younger people, including small children and they also are equally capable of transmitting the virus, equally as capable as adults.”

Mr Weimar said current numbers in the state reflected the concern.

“What we have seen in this outbreak is kids get Covid, we have seen kids spreading within their families with a very high attack rate,” he said.

“We have seen kids transmitting to each other.”

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Originally published as Infant infected with Covid currently in hospital in Victoria as cases rise