‘Clear evidence’ for rising Covid cases in children, ONS data shows

There is ‘clear evidence,’ that coronavirus infections among children as infection rates grew seven times higher in two to 11-year-olds between July and September.

According to figures released yesterday, rates of infection for children aged between two and 11 are seven times higher than in July.

The ONS also warned that positive tests were increasing among 17 to 24-year-olds, as well as 25 to 34-year-olds. 

It calculated that around 59,800 people in England had Covid-19 by September 10, a rise of 51 per cent from the week before. 

Coronavirus rates among children are seven times higher than in July, figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest

Katherine Kent, co-head of analysis for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: ‘These infections seem to be mostly focused in younger people who have seen the largest rise in infections.’

Cases among children up the age of 11 rose from 0.04 per cent on July 23 to 0.28 per cent on September 10. 

For 17 to 24-year-olds the rate increased from 0.04 per cent to 0.52 per cent, while the next age bracket, which rises to 34-year-olds, went from 0.03 per cent to 0.36.

Yesterday Public Health England announced ‘acute respiratory infections’ has risen five-fold in care homes in the week to September 13 and increased more than eight times in schools after term resumed in England. 

Despite a long-term rise since July, weekly figures from PHE in fact suggest Covid-19 cases among people in their 20s actually fell for the first time in 10 weeks. 

Those in the 20-29 age group still have the highest infection rate of anyone in the country but the number of cases per 100,000 people dropped in the second week of September.

It fell from 55.9 per 100,000 to 51.8 between September 6 and September 13, according to PHE’s most recent surveillance report. 

Yvonne Doyle, a PHE medical director, told The Times: ‘We’re seeing clear signs this virus is now spreading widely across all age groups and I am particularly worried by the increase in rates of admission to hospital and intensive care among older people.’

Speaking today, Professor Neil Ferguson said 97 per cent of children getting a test receive a negative result 

Speaking about a recent surge in testing demand on BBC Radio 4 this morning, Professor Neil Ferguson played down potential infections in schools.

He said: ‘It was completely unanticipated by anyone that, what happened when the schools reopened was not necessarily a surge in Covid infections, but parents and teachers getting concerned about students coughing and spluttering, most of which was not Covid.

‘We saw a huge surge in testing of children, most of whom, 97% of whom, tested negative. That surge in demand was not anticipated.’