Just found an interesting paper in preprint status -
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...0222315v1.full
This is a study of 12million people in the UK looking at differences in infection rates, hospitalisation, ICU admissions and deaths and whether those people have children or not. The conclusions are;
- If you have kids aged 0-11, the there is no increased risk of infection, hospitalisation or ICU admission but a reduced Risk of death for under 65s
- If you have kids aged 12-18 the there is an increased risk of infection but no other increased rates (hospitalisation, ICU admission and death) for under 65s
- Living with kids if any age reduces risk of non-COVID related death for under 65s
- For over 65s, there is no. Additional risk or reduction of risk living with kids of any age
There are some limitations in the study as it is a very broad one and they are listed in the paper.
The big questions are why this counterintuitive result happened and there are some ideas around cross protection due to other coronavirus infections, parental lifestyles being better than non-parental and general fitness of parents. I like the idea of the general snottiness of kids being protective for all who come into contact with them.
Big implications for school opening though.