No healthy child has died from coronavirus in the UK

No healthy child has died from coronavirus in the UK, the biggest study into the condition suggests, as researchers say they are confident in sending their own children back to school.

Research by universities including Edinburgh and Liverpool, discovered that children made up less than one per cent of all people admitted to hospital with Covid-19, and just six youngsters had died overall.

But all the deaths occurred in children with major underlying health conditions such as cerebral palsy or cancer.

The study was based on more than 79,000 admissions to hospitals in Britain, around two thirds of all hospitalisations with Covid-19, of which 651 were children. 

Researchers say the number of cases and deaths is ‘staggeringly low’ and is likely to be representative of all admissions.

It was seen by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, ahead of his statement at the weekend encouraging parents to send their children back to school.

It confirms that severe coronavirus in children is ‘exceptionally rare’ and only occurs in youngsters who already have serious underlying conditions.

Speaking at a briefing ahead of publication in the BMJ, report author Calum Semple, Professor in Child Health and Outbreak Medicine, University of Liverpool, said: “The fundamental issue here is that we did not have any deaths in otherwise healthy school aged children. Severe disease is rare and death is vanishingly rare.

“In fact the deaths that we did observe were in children with profound comorbidities not a touch of asthma, not cystic fibrosis. These children had existing life-limiting conditions.

“The big policy implication here is that it fits with the return to school. This is the data which Chris Whitty has been relying on when he says we can be quite sure that Covid in itself is not causing harm to children on a significant scale. I am sending my youngest child back to school.”

Co-author Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, at University of Edinburgh, added: “Nothing is ever risk free, as a parent and a children’s doctor and as a researcher I find this study and these numbers extremely reassuring.”

The findings also show that children of black ethnicity were three times more likely to suffer severe Covid-19, but researchers said the absolute risk is so low that it made little difference and parents should not be concerned. 

“For a black healthy child, there is no risk at all,” added Prof Semple.

“I can say with absolute confidence to the mother of black child in Liverpool, or Brixton or Glasgow, that they are safe to go back to school.”

The study tracked patients for a minimum of two weeks during which time 18 per cent of children were admitted to intensive care. Those aged younger than one month, aged 10-14 years, and of black ethnicity were more likely to be admitted to intensive care.

Just one per cent of children died in hospital, which researchers said was a ‘strikingly low’ fatality rate compared with the 27 per cent across all ages. 

Schools are due to return in September and some parents are still concerned that their children will be at risk. This week the government u-turned on face masks for children, meaning youngsters will need to wear coverings in communal areas if instructed by the head teacher.

Dr Swann added: “The absolute risk of any child being admitted with Covid is tiny. The absolute risk of them being admitted to critical care is even lower.”

The study found there was increased risk for obese children.

Dr Semple added: “These aren’t cuddly or tubby children, they are huge. We know when people become huge the body becomes inflamed and we think an excessive inflammatory process.”

And the research found that, in children, the disease came in ‘two flavours’ with some youngsters experiencing classic symptoms of a runny nose and chesty cough and others severe inflammation, which meant they were more likely to be admitted to intensive care, but no more likely to die.