Second wave saw the highest number of children infected

Most number of infections was in 10-18 years age group across all three waves

While several experts had warned that the third wave could see children infected the most, as COVID vaccination had not yet been rolled out for them then, data from the State Health Department show that the second wave saw the highest number of children infected (0-18 age group.)

While 2,35,639 children were infected in the second wave, less than half of this number was reported in the third wave at 1,05,799. The first wave saw 91,191 kids getting infected, the least among the three waves.  

The highest number of children infected was in the 10-18 years age group across all three waves. While 63,852 children were infected in the first wave, 1,69,483 were infected in the second wave. The third wave saw 89,179 children in this age group getting infected, data revealed. 

In the 0-9 years age group, while 27,339 were infected in the first wave, the second and third wave saw 66,156 and 16,620 child infections respectively.

In terms of overall deaths in the 0-18 years age group, the third wave saw the least number of children succumbing to the virus at 39. While 82 child deaths were reported during the second wave, 56 were reported in the first wave, according to the data.

The 13-member expert committee (headed by cardiologist Devi Prasad Shetty) that was set up by the Karnataka Government to analyse, advise and control the third wave of COVID-19 had estimated that around 3.4 lakh out of the total 2.3 crore population in the 0-18 age group might get infected during the peak of the third wave.