WHO says children above 12 years should wear masks like adults to reduce risk of COVID-19

World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidance saying children d 12 and above should wear masks to avoid contracting COVID-19 under same conditions as ults, whereas children between s six and 11 should wear m on a risk-based approach.

Children d 12 and over should especially wear a mask when a one-metre distance from ors cant be maintained and re is widespre transmission in area, WHO and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.

RE | 'India Has World's Best COVID-19 Recovery Rate, Lowest Fatality Rate': Health Minister

organisations vised that children between six and 11 should wear masks taking into account intensity of transmission in area, child’s exposure to high-risk individuals, access to masks and equate ult supervision, two organisations said.  Children d five years and under should t be required to wear a mask under rmal circumstances, it said.

WHO said that older children are more likely to transmit coronavirus than younger children, ding more data was needed to better understand role of children and olescents in transmission of COVID-19. UN health body h earlier vised people to wear masks in public to reduce spre of infection but did t issue specific guidance for children.

RE | WHO, UNICEF Urge African Countries To Reopen Schools Safely

COVID-19 can end before 2 years

WHO chief Tedros ham Ghebreyesus has expressed hope that world can get rid of coronavirus pandemic in less than two years - lesser time than it took to stop 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

‘ world can end coronavirus pandemic in less than two years’, Tedros, said while dressing reporters from WHO's hequarters in Geneva, insisting that it should be possible to tame vel coronavirus spre faster than dely 1918 pandemic.

RE | WHO And UNICEF Report Says Over 800 Million Children Aren’t Able To Wash Hands At School

Calling COVID- 19 pandemic 'once-in-a-century health crisis' Tedros, asserted that globalisation h allowed virus to spre quicker than Spanish flu did in 1918, re was also w techlogy to stop it that hn’t been available a century ago. He said by utilising available tools to maximum and ditional tools like vaccines can finish virus spre in a shorter time than 1918 flu.

global coronavirus figures have reached 22.5 million and death cases have reached close to 8 lakh mark. total number of cases stands at 22,593,363 and fatalities have risen to 792,396 across globe.  United States continues to be worst affected country with highest number of caselos and deaths. country has reported 5,573,501 cases and 173,114 deaths so far. Meanwhile, Brazil and India are next in list with 3,501,975 and 2,905,823 cases respectively.

RE | 2.4 Million Children Affected By Recent Floods In India: UNICEF