‘Don’t panic, Covid-19 kids can be managed’
Ministry advises to focus on awareness of parents and community
In the wake of rising coronavirus infection and mortality among 0-20 age groups, the health ministry on Monday for the first time held a virtual conference with the participation of a record 4,000 paediatricians, nurses, medical officers and healthcare workers across India and discussed the treatment protocols.
The ministry said at present the cases of infection below 20 yrs in the country are 12% and death rate is 3%... there is a need to be prepared in case the numbers increase and all HCW should be oriented to the clinical protocols and management of Covid-19 paediatric and new born age group. However, the ministry officials and experts were unanimous on one thing that the children should be given very judicious treatment. No unnecessary drug prescriptions of Remdesivir, Tocilizomab, Hydorxychloroquine or plasma infusion as done in the case of adults.
The community should be educated that children can be managed at home if asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic while moderate and severe illness are managed in a patient facility. They emphasised the need for a rational use of medications. Trials of vaccines in children are underway but guidance is likely to be based on documentation of safety and efficacy and availability of vaccines. The message was to educate the parents not to panic but focus on proper treatment, counselling and keeping the child’s morale high.
“Number of children are more due to lowering of guard, state of unlock, mass gathering, lack of distancing and mask use and more importantly mutant strains,’’ said Prof Dr Rakesh Lodha, Department of Paediatrics, AIIMS, New Delhi.
The majority of the children may have minor symptoms and they can be treated by keeping them in home isolation. They will have to follow home isolation quarantine guidelines.
However, the experts have said the home quarantine is not feasible if there is a small house, overcrowding at home, high-risk patients staying at home and inadequate facility and regular monitoring is not possible. If a child has high-risk factors including chronic disease then home isolation is not advisable.
According to the ministry and experts, the parents should be trained for homecare to monitor oxygen saturation, maintain a monitoring chart, counting of respiratory rates 2-3 times a day, communication to doctor and whom to contact in case of emergency. ‘’If a child develops breathing difficulty, bluish discolouration, chest indrawing, rapid respiratory rate, shows reduced activity or lethargy and poor feeding, in such situation the parents should take the child to the hospital,’’ said Prof Dr SK Kabra, Department of Paediatrics, AIIMS, New Delhi.