Why Are Children More Frequently Infected with the Omicron Variant?

The Omicron variant has begun to suppress the production of interferons as a result of infection, and is better at resisting the antiviral effects of external exogenous interferons. This may explain the surprising spike in infections among children with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The results of a new study by German specialists were published on the BioRxiv portal.

According to scientists, it is the interferon response that plays a leading role in protecting children from infections. Professor Andrei Prodeus, a researcher at the Baltic Federal University named after Immanuel Kant, noted in an interview with Izvestia that the new variant of the coronavirus is more contagious and is better able to 'stick' to cell receptors. He stated that children, according to specialists, are a suitable 'ground' for Omicron.

Virologist Anatoly Altshtain from the Gamaleya Research Center agreed that the increased risk of infection in children with the new variant is related to its improved ability to 'stick' to cell receptors. 'Earlier, the greater infectivity of the Omicron variant for children, compared to Delta, was explained by the fact that they have fewer receptors on the surface of their respiratory cells,' he said.