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Gloria Kennett can’t wait for a long-awaited beach vacation, but she’s keeping a close watch on new cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant.
Ms Kennett, manager of a hotel in Chicago, is vaccinated, but her 9-month-old daughter is not yet eligible. For now, they are planning to go. But if they see a big increase in cases, they’ll hold on. They are reassured that they can get a refund if they cancel.
The most infectious Delta variant has spread rapidly around the world and is now the most common strain of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the United States. Analysis of genetic sequencing data as of June 27 showed that the Delta strain now represents about 40% of positive COVID-19 test samples, according to Helix, a population genomics company that collects and analyzes test samples from several American states.
The CDC said fully vaccinated Americans are well protected, even against the variants. But children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination.
FAUCI SAYS VACCINATED PEOPLE SHOULD ‘GET AN EXTRA THOUSAND’ AND WEAR MASKS IN AREAS WITH LOW VACCINATION RATES
Children are still at much lower risk than adults of serious complications or death from the virus. Most children who contract COVID-19 still have mild or asymptomatic cases. There is no evidence that young adults and children are proportionately more vulnerable to the Delta variant than other age groups, and any pocket of increased transmission primarily reflects the fact that they have not been immunized, scientists say. . “There is no evidence that it is more serious in children,” says Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at the University of California, San Francisco.
Here’s what doctors say parents need to know to keep unvaccinated children safe this summer.
Keep masks for unvaccinated children indoors
Indoor masking, especially around unvaccinated adults outside a child’s home, is more important as the Delta variant becomes the dominant strain, says Andrew Janowski, pediatric infectious disease physician at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. While many parts of the United States have relaxed masking and social distancing rules for those who are vaccinated, unvaccinated children should continue the same precautions they took against earlier strains of the virus. “A lot of families and parents can apply the same rules that they followed,” he says.
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Look for regional hot spots
Local vaccination rates will be an important determinant of how well Delta is establishing itself in different regions. Places with fewer adults vaccinated are more likely to see the number of cases increase, potentially creating more pressure on area hospitals, says Preeti Malani, health officer at the University of Michigan. For families attending camps or traveling to different parts of the country, Dr Malani suggests tracking the number of cases, test positivity rates, and deaths. “You have to find ways to move towards something that feels normal, but do it in a way that is safe for their family,” she says.
Click here to read the full article on WSJ.com.
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