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Does coronavirus infect children? How does severity differ?

Dr. Frank McGeorge answers viewer question about coronavirus

DETROIT – There’s a lot of information and misinformation out there about the coronavirus, so Local 4 is letting viewers submit questions so we can find verified answers.

Click here if you want to submit a question about the coronavirus.

Dr. Frank McGeorge wants to verify or refute any information about the coronavirus, but there are also some questions experts still don’t know the answer to. McGeorge is discussing them because acknowledging what we don’t know is just as important as verifying information so people don’t rely on incorrect answers.

Coronavirus in children

As new cases in Michigan has been revealed, one thing that came up is that one of the cases in Oakland County is described as being in a “male child," who we believe is only 5 years old.

The illness is more severe in older people, so what’s the difference in how it affects children?

Viewers from across the area have asked about how the coronavirus affects children. They can get infected, but there are many differences.

The severity of the infection is much worse for people older than 60. It’s generally much less significant in children.

Early studies show only about 1% of infections were in children. With more study, it’s become clear that children do become infected, but they have much milder illness and probably weren’t being tested.


About the Authors
Frank McGeorge, MD headshot

Dr. McGeorge can be seen on Local 4 News helping Metro Detroiters with health concerns when he isn't helping save lives in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital.

Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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