Q: Why is the virus not affecting children as much, as I am assuming, a child does not have as strong an immune system as an adult, someone who is over 50 or 60 years old? Raj Bhopal: Children’s immune system is incredible. Children have lots of mucus that runs out of their noses and mouths. Mucus has got a lot of general antibodies that the virus does not like. It’s also a physical barrier. They get the infection, but it does not bother them very much and they are less likely to transmit it to adults as well. Children have very strong immune systems. Older people are at risk because the immune system weakens. It might also have something to do with the number of virus particles that affects them. It may well be that there are getting infected with small numbers. So, you might not think it, but their immune system is amazing. By the age of 20, your risk is far higher than the age of 5. Every ten years, the risk of death triples, so a 20-year-old is three times more likely to die than a 10-year-old. It is still very rare, but that’s true.
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