A new strain of coronavirus, which was identified in the UK in December this year, more often affects children. This is stated in a study by experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, reports the Daily Mail.
According to the Office for National Statistics, coronavirus is more common among schoolchildren – students from grades 7 to 11 had the highest infection rate among the entire population.
Professor Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London explained that the previous virus had a harder time binding the ACE2 receptor and entering cells, so adults with more ACE2 in their nose and throat were an easier target for the virus. The new strain of COVID-19 more easily penetrates the child’s body.
According to experts, if this theory is confirmed, it will explain the greater infectiousness of the coronavirus.
Earlier, scientists stated that a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 next year. High infectivity implies that the strain will increase morbidity, pressurize health systems, and increase mortality.