Hospital caring for kids of ill parents

HEALTH and welfare authorities are bracing for a rising number of children needing care while their parents are in hospital fighting serious cases of Covid.

A Melbourne private hospital has already been called on to set up a ward caring for a small number of children even though they do not have Covid symptoms requiring specialist medical attention.

Because parents and other carers have had to be hospitalised with serious cases – and the children do not have other family members who can care for them due to transmission concerns – the Department of Health organised a “stop gap” arrangement with a suburban private hospital.

It is understood longerterm arrangements are being established in line with projections of a steep rise in demand to house infected and non-infected children, based on the number of critically ill parents in Sydney’s outbreak.

A Department of Health spokesman confirmed Northern Health was overseeing care for unaccompanied minors whose parents are being treated in hospital for coronavirus.

“These children are asymptomatic but require a safe place to stay, as they may not have other family members who can care for them,” he said.

“At this time it is important that the privacy of these families is respected.”

However, the latest research into long Covid has brought better news for young cases, revealing symptoms rarely last more than 12 weeks in children and teens.