Watchdog says Humza Yousaf child Covid claim 'inaccurate'
- Published
Mr Yousaf has previously said he regrets any undue alarm that was caused by his comments
Claims by Scotland's health secretary that 10 children had been hospitalised "because of Covid" were inaccurate, the UK's statistics watchdog has concluded.
Humza Yousaf used the figure last week as he warned that leaving a level two area to go to a soft play in level one could lead to child hospitalisation.
Mr Yousaf later said he regretted any "undue alarm" that he had caused.
The UK Statistics Authority has now said the figure was inaccurately presented.
In a letter to the Scottish government's chief statistician, it also said the statistic used by Mr Yousaf had not been publicly available the time.
However, it acknowledged that the government had subsequently published data, external on the number of children in hospital with Covid alongside an explanatory note "to support any future interpretation".
The statistics published by the government did show that 10 children aged between zero and nine had been admitted to hospital with the virus in the previous week.
But the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said at the time that many of these children would only have tested positive after being taken to hospital for another reason - for example a broken bone - rather than because the virus had made them ill.
It said there were very few children in hospital in Scotland because of the virus, no sign of any Covid-related increase in admissions to children's wards - and no reason for parents to worry.
'Genuine mistake'
In its letter to the government, the statistics authority said it was "encouraging" that Public Health Scotland was aiming to publish data on the age ranges of those in hospital with Covid on a more regular basis.
But it said this data should ideally include whether or not Covid was the primary reason for the child being admitted to hospital.
The letter added: "Whilst we understand that on this occasion it was a genuine mistake, which was quickly corrected, I would like to re-iterate the importance of ensuring ministers are appropriately briefed and any figures referred to publicly must be made available."
The authority was responding to a complaint from the Scottish Conservatives, who said Mr Yousaf had "left thousands of parents worried for their kids' safety".
The party's health spokeswoman, Annie Wells, added: "The health secretary alarmed parents but once again, just like when he made false accusations of sectarian singing, external, he didn't hold his hands up and admit the mistake.
"For once, Humza Yousaf should drop the arrogance, show some humility and finally apologise for getting this so badly wrong."
Young children are much less likely to become seriously ill with the virus than older people
Mr Yousaf made the comments as he responded to a question on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme about a soft player owner in Midlothian who said it was "moronic" that his facility remained closed because it was in level two, but parents could drive six miles down the road to a level one area and go to a soft play there.
There is no ban on travel between level two and level one areas.
The health secretary said that 10 children aged zero to nine had been admitted to hospital in the previous week "because of Covid".
He added: "Therefore the risk of someone who travelled from a level two area into a level one area and who took their children into a soft play area could lead to the hospitalisation of children."
Responding on Twitter to the subsequent controversy over his remarks, Mr Yousaf said: "My main message was to urge caution, not to cause any undue alarm, I regret if that was the case."
He added: "My quoting of these figures was in response to a question about a parent wanting to take their child from a Level 2 area to soft play in a Level 1 area.
"My clear msg was plz don't take any risks. It certainly wasn't my intention to create any undue alarm."
It emerged earlier this week that recorded Covid infections among children in Scotland are now the highest they have been during the outbreak.
Weekly infections in 0-14 year olds reached 1,064 on 7 June - higher than the peak in early January, according to Public Health Scotland.
While growing numbers of pupils are off school, there is no evidence that children are becoming seriously ill,
More than 10,000 people have died with Covid in Scotland since the pandemic began - three of whom were aged under 14, according to National Records of Scotland figures.
They were a baby girl in December 2020, a boy in February of this year and a girl in March.
Regulators have now approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children in the UK aged 12-15, saying it is safe and effective in this age group and that the benefits outweigh the risks.
