Children save the world

Inspiration

The basic principles of infectious disease prevention and control are to eliminate the source of infection, cut the transmission route, and protect the susceptible population. In China, most children and teenagers with COVID-19 were asymptomatic or had mild infections and were recovered within one to two weeks. If these population groups are infected, but have no symptoms or are milder, they can still play a critical role in COVID-19 transmission. Furthermore, even if they are exposed to the virus, they can inactivate it effectively, depending on their lifestyle. On the other hand, this generation of young people is more connected than any other generation. Young people have ease in managing technology and it is vital to keep communication channels open and help them to be informed. Therefore, they can play a fundamental role in the dissemination of correct information about COVID-19 and support actions to share information on risk reduction and prepare the response to a second wave of infections.

What it does

The teenagers of legal age, in a range of 18-19 years, of more than 50 kg and in good general health (nutritional, physical, gastrointestinal and emotional health), after passing the infection with coronavirus could be considered as hyperimmune plasma donors for the treatment of critical cases and high-risk populations. The donor must be in good health, and this must be based on good eating and lifestyle habits, but these can be altered in stressful situations such as the confinement to which the world population is currently subjected. Programs to reinforce healthy habits are essential to keep our young people healthy.

How I built it

The objectives of the present investigation are the following: General: Evaluate, improve nutritional status, physical and emotional health and promote the role of teenagers (18-19 years) as a key population group to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Specific:

1. Analyze the impact of this population group on the spread of the virus.
2. Determine if this population group can be re-infected (under strict control and monitoring) to develop hyperimmune serum (mainly, the second immune response against SARSCoV2) to treat new cases that present pneumonia, which require hospitalization, and / or to immunize other high-risk groups.
3. Provide nutritional support to the teenagers population to: a. Maintain a healthy immune system during and after confinement, through diet and exercise. b. Reduce the risk of developing and spreading the virus infection.
4. Train teenagers about the disease, its spread, its potential as donors, and its potential ability to work together with health authorities to interrupt the chain of contagion, becoming the main information channel for teenagers (13- 19). Tools: Digital platforms. Telematic questionnaires evaluated by the CSIC Bioethics Committee. Interaction with hospitals where the immunization program has been implemented, using hyperimmune plasma and new diagnostic equipment for rapid detection of antigen and antibodies against the virus in the target study population.

What I learned

To share ideas and organize them in a short time.

What's next for Teenagers against the virus

Create ollaborations with different hospitals and health centers to implement this immunization strategy on a large scale