28/10/2024
"Making the case for a Covid-safe school
Is Covid an issue for children? Yes!
We have been told that kids do not get seriously ill with Covid, but this is unfortunately not true. Like adults, some kids get very sick – Covid is now the leading cause of death from infectious disease in children in the US , and 1 in 4 kids with Covid experience long-term symptoms or problems such as a damaged heart, lungs or kidneys; weakened immune system; blood clotting problems; diabetes; mental health issues. The effects may not become apparent for months or even years.
Research has now demonstrated that anyone can be affected by this long-term damage, no matter how healthy they were before Covid infection, or how ‘mild’ their early symptoms are – any child could face long term or permanent serious damage.
We know that immunity is short-lived – children catch Covid again and again, often two or three times a year. We don’t always know how many times our child has had Covid, as many infections in kids have only minor symptoms at first – but we do know that the risk gets greater with each Covid infection. So even if a child recovers well from their first infection, their risk of long-term damage increases with their second, third, and every subsequent infection."
Aotearoa Covid Action works for a Covid-safe Aotearoa New Zealand
