Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, May 3: Experts on Monday said that the second wave of Covid-19 is behaving differently and children for whom vaccines haven’t been recommended are also at risk while parents must take proper care of them.
Head of Department (HOD) at GB Panth Hospital Srinagar Dr Muzzafar Jan said that the second wave which basically is a mutation is affecting small children as well which was very rare in first wave.
Jan said that many of the Covid-19 positive children have no symptoms.
“Those that do get sick tend to experience mild symptoms such as low-grade fever, fatigue, and cough. Some children have had severe complications, but this has been less common. Children with underlying health conditions may be at increased risk for severe illness,” he said.
Jan said the main symptoms of Covid-19 in children are fever, cough, throat infection, vomiting, diaheora .
“If a child is sick we must check their saturation level and breathing rate,” he said.
“If breathing rate of the child will increase and oxygen level will remain above 94, we call it moderate symptoms of Covid and once child becomes latherogic, faces breathing problems and oxygen level goes below 90 it is severe category of Covid-19,” Jan said.
Jan said that in critical condition child can have acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock besides multiple organ failure.
“If parents notice any symptom in their children they must test them, isolate them and take care of them so that transmission can stop,” he said. “Vaccine for children are under trail and haven’t been recommended for children yet.”
Jan said that a positive mother can feed her baby but mother must take all precautions and after feeding must keep baby at a distance of 6 feet at least.
“Children above two years of age should use mask and follow all covid appropriate behavior. However, children below two years can’t use mask as it can create breathing problems for them,” he said.
“If child has high fever for four days, refuses feeding, feels latherogic, saturation level below 94 and has breathing problems, he must be hospitalised and tested for Covid -19 through RT-PCR,” Jan said.
Jan said children must be given healthy diet with zinc pills to avoid severe impact of from Covid-19.
Jan said though they have resources available with 1500 litre per minute capacity oxygen besides other facilities, if people won’t follow SOPs in letter and spirit a stage reaches where any health system can collapse.
