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NewsMobile Explainer: Taking Care Of Children As COVID-19 Pandemic Rages On

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An infant lost his life in a Surat hospital just a few days back. A 10-year-old is under close observation in a hospital in Noida. A 13-year-old is struggling hard with high fever and sore throat for the past few days in Kolkata.  

These are not isolated cases. These are accounts of children with COVID-19 and their harrowing ordeal. As the COVID-19 graph continues to rise upwards with India recording it’s highest ever tally of over 3.32 lakh cases, reports of many children and youngsters  contracting the infection are pouring in from all corners.

Is the virus affecting children more this time around? Are there some specific factors that are leading to the infection spread in children? As parents, what are the warning signs that need to be looked into closely?

Here is the NewsMobile Explainer to answer all your questions.

Are Children At Risk?

A paediatrician at Johns Hopkins Children’s Centre and infectious disease expert Dr Aaron Milstone says in his report that “although in a majority of cases disease seems to be milder in young children, it’s important for parents and caregivers to understand that children can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and can transmit it to others.”

“In rare cases, children can become very sick with COVID-19, and deaths have occurred. That’s why it is important to use precautions and prevent infection in children as well as adults,” he adds.

Are Newborns Too At Risk?

John Hopkins University says women infected with the coronavirus can, in very rare cases, pass the disease to her baby. Infants can also become infected shortly after being born. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most newborns who test positive for the coronavirus have mild symptoms or none at all, and recover, but serious cases have occurred.

What Are The Symptoms In Children?

  • Cough
  • Fever or chills
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Sore throat
  • Irritability
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Excessive fatigue
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Rashes
  • Pneumonia with or without obvious symptoms

Probability Of Children Getting Sick With COVID-19

As per a October 22, 2020, report on children and COVID-19 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 11% of patients with COVID-19 are children. Children make up 1% to 3.6% of total reported COVID-19, hospitalizations, and between 0.6% and 6.9% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) says there is no evidence of the young being at greater risk in the second wave. However experts say that a larger volume of overall COVID-19 cases is leading to a higher proportion of children falling sick.

Children More At Risk

According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children with following medical conditions are considerably more at risk:

  • Asthma or chronic lung disease
  • Diabetes
  • Genetic, neurologic, or metabolic conditions
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Heart disease since birth
  • Immunosuppression (weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or being on medications that weaken the immune system)
  • Medical complexity (children with multiple chronic conditions that affect many parts of the body, or are dependent on technology and other significant supports for daily life)
  • Obesity

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

According to Johns Hopkins University, doctors treating children in the US and UK have noted that children between ages 2 and 15 may experience a condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C.

If a child experiences a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more that lasts more than 24 hours and has at least one of these symptoms, please call a doctor immediately.

  • Unusual weakness or fatigue
  • A red rash
  • Abdominal (belly) pain
  • Vomiting and diarrhea
  • Red, cracked lips
  • Red eyes
  • Swollen hands or feet

How To Protect Children From COVID-19

  • Keep the child indoors
  • Maintain physical distancing to ensure children stay away from other individuals
  • Encourage child to cover his mouth with his elbow while coughing and sneezing
  • Maintain hand hygiene
  • Remind children repeatedly not to touch their mouth and eyes unless hands are clean
  • Ensure all surfaces and toys a child touches is cleaned regularly
  • Make sure child wears a mask if at all there is a need to step out

One thing that needs to be kept in mind at all times is to avoid self medication and the need to consult a doctor if you notice any warning sign in children.

ALSO READ: COVID-19 | If You Are 18 Yrs Or Above, Here’s How You Can Register Yourself For Vaccination From Apr 28

 

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