Children could be "equally susceptible" to the new strain of Covid as adults, a government scientist has warned. Professor Wendy Barclay's comments come as new research said rapidly rising infections are "unlikely" to go down without shutting schools and universities.The Imperial College London academic and member of No10's advisory group NERVTAG said: "The newer virus has an easier time doing that (getting into cells) and children are therefore equally susceptible, perhaps, to this virus as adults."Given their mixing patterns, you would expect to see more children being infected."It's not because the virus is specifically targeting children, but that it is now less inhibited."Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist of Imperial College.