Younger people under the age of 20 half as likely to catch Covid-19 infections, finds study

Younger people, under the age of 20, are half as likely of getting the Covid-19 infection compared to adults who are more likely to spread infections faster, according to a new study. While older studies focus on the difference in the level of infection or symptoms among children, adolescents and adults, this news study sheds light on the extent of vulnerability of different age group in terms of getting or spread Covid infections.

For the latest research, researchers from the University of Haifa and colleagues relied on mathematical and statistical models of infection transmission inside households and fitted it against Covid-19 testing results from across the densely populated Bnei Brak city in Israel.

The new study covered 637 households where all members took the RT-PCT tests in spring 2020. Some of these people are also subjects for serology testing for SARS-Cov-2 antibodies.

The study now published in the PLOS Computational Biology finds that people under the age of 20 years are 43 per cent less susceptible to Covid infections compared to those above 20. Adults, on the contrary, have 63 per cent more chances.

However, children are also more likely to get a negative test result even when infected or showing symptoms that also partly explains why a lower proportion of children were reported fir have Covid-19 infections worldwide.

Computation techniques undertaken in this study can further dig details on transmission methods in other settings like in schools, hospitals etc, the researchers said. Computational methods utilize computing mean like statistics, algorithms, simulations models to understand biological, technological or other complex social patterns and behaviour.