There have been reports of newborns as well as infants being affected
Adults, especially the elderly, have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. However, this does not mean children are immune from the disease. Children too can contract the disease and transmit the infection.
An eight-year-old girl from Malavalli in Karnataka’s Mandya district tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. She contracted COVID-19 from her mother (P-179) and is being treated at a designated hospital in Mandya.
A 10-year-old boy was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Saturday and is being treated in a hospital in Bengaluru. He contracted the disease from P-192, a 40-year-old female. The child is stable.
These are a few instances of children being diagnosed with the disease in Karnataka. How vulnerable are children to the disease? In China, Italy and the US, the number of children who get infected are far fewer in number when compared to adults. “Even if they get affected, majority of them do pretty well. There are reports of newborns as well as infants being affected. Fortunately, all of them have done very well,” said Dr Sreenath Manikanti, senior consultant pediatrician, neonatologist and head of the department at Fortis La Femme Hospital, Richmond Road, Bengaluru.
“There is zero per cent mortality in the 0-9 age group and only 0.2 per cent mortality in the age group of 10-19 years across the world. It is much less than the mortality rate in adults, which ranges between 2-12 per cent in different parts of the world,” he added.
Studies have also shown that a significant number of children are asymptomatic even when they are affected. “Children who are symptomatic may have mild flu like symptoms like fever, cough and cold. Some children may have gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. Very few children would have respiratory difficulties and may require intensive care admission,” Manikanti said.
Prevention is the best cure
It is important take necessary precautions to protect children from the infection. Parents should teach them how the germs spread and how they can stay safe. Encourage them to stay at home and maintain social distancing while stepping out. Washing hands frequently with soap and water and not touching one’s mouth, nose and eyes with unclean hands can also help ward off the virus.
Designate one person in the house to go out for shopping. They should wear a mask when they step out of the house and maintain social distancing. Use hand sanitiser and make it a point to disinfect groceries before taking them inside the house. Shower as soon as you enter the house and remove the clothes and wash them. These precautions can go a long way in protecting your little ones from the virus.
