Highlights
- Covid-19 mutated to a new variant called Delta variant, twice as transmissible as the original strain of the coronavirus
- Scientists are working hard to create a COVID vaccine for kids under 12
- Children are advised to wear masks
COVID-19, or COVID for short , has been around for about 18 months. It has grown and changed over that time.
These mutations, or variants, of the virus are named after letters in the Greek alphabet. The most common variant in Australia at the moment is Delta. It spreads easily when people cough or sneeze. COVID-19 causes an illness like a cold or flu. Laila Ibrahim is a doctor at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital. She's done research on COVID in kids and found lots recover well at home.
"Most kids didn't have to go to hospital at all. So what's really important for you, if you know somebody, or a friend or somebody in your class who's had COVID, is to be kind to them. Because they've had some time of not feeling well. And what you can do is ask them how they're feeling now," Dr Laila Ibrahim said.
