Rise in Covid-19 among kids triggers concerns

SNS, SILIGURI. 26 SEPTEMBER 21: The rise in the number of children getting infected by Covid-19 in north Bengal has now come up as a matter of grave concern. Amid hundreds of children falling ill with fever and respiratory problems in a recent outbreak, some infants have tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus too.

Health department officials have, however, tried to allay fears that Covid-19 had nothing to do with the recent viral fever outbreak.

Paediatricians have, on the other hand, stressed on Covid-19 tests for children showing symptoms of fever, cough and cold and throat pain. They have said utmost care must be taken in children with pre-existing comorbidities.

At least two children have been tested positive for Covid19 in the Jalpaiguri District Hospital, three in the Kurseong Sub Divisional Hospital in the Hills, while another child from Sonada in the Hills has also tested positive for the coronavirus in rapid antigen tests. Another Covid-19 case has been detected in a child in the Malda Medical College and Hospital. Doctors have said that the age group of those children was under five.

Sources at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), where most of the children received treatment, said today that repeat Covid tests confirmed that the three Kurseong children as negative. Sources said that paediatrecians treating children in private facilities have also found some Covid cases among them.

"Children showing symptoms should undergo Covid tests. This will help curb the spread of infection," the president of the Siliguri branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) and noted paediatriacian, Dr Subir Bhowmik, said.

IAP the sole representative professional body of paediatricians in India, with more than 20300 members from across the states of the country has said that any fresh surge in the pandemic was highly unlikely to predominantly affect children. It believes that the fears circulating about the possible third wave hitting children hard have no base.

However, the prevailing situation in north Bengal has triggered concerns, especially among parents of children. "The rising fever cases, including some deaths, have left many parents like us worried. In between, some children have been infected by Covid-19 .We do not know about the virulence and severity if the projected third wave of Covid-19 hits," said a mother of a two-year-old, Sucheta Roy. Chowdhury.

The officer on special duty for public health in north Bengal, Dr Susanta Kumar Roy, on the other hand, has sought to allay such fears.

"We are alert and are looking into all the aspects. There is no cause of concern. Some children have been infected with Covid-19, but in most of those cases it has been found that the disease was transmitted to them from the mothers," Dr Roy said.

The dean of student affairs at the NBMCH, Dr Sandip Sengupta, too said children are generally infected by the disease from adults. He said adults should properly follow the Covid appropriate behaviour.

"Children cannot step out of their own homes. Therefore, the parents should be more responsible and clean and sanitise themselves before coming into contact with the children," he said.