As the country continues to grapple with Covid-19 second wave and is preparing for the onset of the third wave, an alarming trend is being seen in Assam, wherein children are being affected by the deadly contagion.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr. Randeep Guleria recently clarified it has been said children that even though there are reports that stated that children will be infected the most during the third Covid-19 wave, the pediatrics association has stated that it is not based on facts. It might not impact children and so people should not fear.
Dr. Guleria also had informed earlier this month that the country will be hit by the third wave in next six to eight weeks.
This belief is a conjecture at the moment but the growing numbers of cases be it in the country or the state during the second wave of the pandemic cannot be ignored.
Assam's National Health Mission Director Dr Lakshmanan S said on Monday that during the second wave of the pandemic in the state atleast 34,066 children below the age of 18 years have tested positive for Covid-19. This number accounts for 12 per cent of the total cases reported since April this year.
34 children, primarily with Covid-19 morbidities have died of the infection during the second wave so far.
5,755 cases are children below five years, while, 28,851 are between 6 and 18 years.
Districts of Kamrup Mertro, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Kamrup Rural, and Sonitpur recorded the highest cases of children being infected with the virus.
Of all the districts, Kamrup Metro has the highest caseload with 5,346 children found to be infected by the virus.
Most of them had comorbidities like congenital diseases of the heart and kidney among others.
As per statistics published by Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute 52 childhood, cancer patients at BBCI were detected with coronavirus-2 infection. The age of childhood cancer patients with COVID-19 ranged from 1 year to 17 years.
Of the 52 children with COVID-19, 12 (23.0%) were asymptomatic for COVID-19 and detected as part of routine testing or contract tracing. Two (3.8%) children with cancers were infected twice with COVID-19. Moreover, 49 (94.2%) have tested negative, and three (5.7%) children have succumbed.
Even as Covid-19 is mostly asymptomatic in children, a few who get infected may need hospitalisation, the Centre said on Wednesday.
The Centre further said that all adequate arrangements in terms of healthcare infrastructure are being made to provide them effective care and treatment amid the third COVID wave concern.
In Assam, Covid Paediatric ICUs in all medical colleges and district hospitals are being set up and their establishment is in an advanced stage.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had also issued guidelines for 'Management of COVID-19 in children (below 18 years) on June 18.
The only way protect children and for that matter even adults from the subsequent waves is that people need to follow Covid-19 nappropriate behaviour aggressively till a significant number part of the population is vaccinated or gain natural immunity
"When enough people are vaccinated or when we acquire natural immunity against the infection, then these waves will stop. The only way out is to strictly follow COVID appropriate behaviour," Dr. Guleria, AIIMS director said.
