The rise of infections nationwide does not spare children and adolescents. A month and a half from the beginning of the school year, after the first few weeks of new cases falling in the school age group, there are the first signs of a reversal of the trend. According to the data of the latest ISS-Epicenter report on health surveillance, in fact, the incidence of cases in the last week shows an increase in all age groups but reaches the highest levels in the 0-19 age group. In particular, it stands at 63 positive per 100 thousand inhabitants in the 0-9 age range and 53 in the 10-19 age group. While it remains under 50 cases in all the remaining over 20 age groups.
Contagions on the rise in school age
Between 11 and 24 October, 10,333 new cases were recorded in the 0-19 year range. There were 8,857 in the period between 4 and 17 October. In total, in the last week 24% of cases were diagnosed under the age of 20. And the weekly percentage distribution of cases by age group is stable: 47% between 6 and 11 years, 33% in the 12-19 age group and only 13% and 7% respectively between 3 and 5 years and under 3 years.
For vaccines 5-12 years Ema evaluation expected within one year
If the data speak of a weak link in the younger age groups, the news from the US that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 gives hope. with a reduced dose (one third of that for adults) and two injections three weeks apart. If there is also a green light from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the pediatric vaccination campaign can begin next week. In Europe, times will be longer, because we need the green light from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). “The evaluation procedure is underway by Ema and our hope is that it can be expressed by the end of the year, in December: when it has been expressed, this vaccination will also be possible in Italy” said Health Minister Roberto Speranza.
The new rules on quarantine at school are coming
Meanwhile, guidelines on the management of Covid cases at school are on the way to which the Regions, ISS and the ministries of Health and Education have worked for weeks. In a few days they will be issued with a special circular. There is a farewell to quarantine for the entire class in primary and secondary schools, where students will avoid Dad if, as close contacts of a positive, they can exhibit a negative swab immediately after the discovery of the Covid case in the classroom and then carry out a another test after five days. The vaccinated student will be able to avoid quarantine with a negative swab even if a second positive is discovered in the classroom, while the others will have to go there. While with three Covid cases the whole class – vaccinated and not – will have to go all in Dad.
The new indications will serve to bring order to a subject where regional do-it-yourself has reigned so far at a time when the curve of infections and hospitalizations has started to rise again.