CHILDREN aged between 12 and 17 may transmit the coronavirus (Covid-19) to their parents and the elderly at home because they incubate the virus longer than adults, cautioned a top medic.
National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (Covid-19) senior member and Salmaniya Medical Complex Infectious and Internal Diseases consultant Dr Jameela Al Salman urged parents to get their children aged 12 to 17 vaccinated and contribute to the collective national efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
She was speaking at a Press conference held remotely from the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research, Riffa yesterday.
Present were Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Waleed Al Manea and taskforce monitoring committee head Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani.
Dr Al Salman also called on mothers to ignore WhatsApp messages and social media that spread false information against vaccination of children and which have no scientific or medical basis.
“Our children are honest, and we must preserve their health and safety under the exceptional health conditions of the virus,” she said.
“Let us not forget that our children have gone through many vaccinations since birth, some of which were in excess of three doses.”
Addressing public queries, Dr Al Salman noted that the Covid-19 death rate was related to active cases.
“Around 80 per cent of the active cases are with mild symptoms, while 10-15pc show medium to severe symptoms.
“When cases are high these numbers will be proportionally high.
“Death rate is also linked to the numbers, but it is noteworthy that Bahrain has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.”
She also cautioned that the virus is mutating and the infection is high; vaccines will reduce the number of cases but at the same time compliance with precautionary measures was absolutely necessary.
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