Covid-19: Children hit hard, over 37,000 infected in Telangana

Telangana health authorities on Wednesday said that 37,332 children in the 0-19 age group were infected with the novel coronavirus between March and May this year, even as they brainstorm ways to stop the virus from spreading further among the younger lot.

Armed with statistics of the first wave of 19,824 children affected with the virus between August 15 and November 15, 2020, officials said they are getting ready with more beds, equipment, and awareness drives.

Chief secretary Somesh Kumar had a series of meetings with doctors and experts on possible third wave and increase of cases among children. Plans are being laid to make at least 5,000 beds available for children.

“There is also a thought process in the government that there will be more MIS-C cases (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome) among children, even from July,” a top official from the health department told TOI.

More MIS-C cases among children below 10 are being seen now, with 9,858 cases reported during the second wave as against 6,250 cases in the first wave.

When contacted, the director of medical education (DME) K Ramesh Reddy said they are confident of tackling the situation when it comes to below 10 years age group.

“During the first wave we saw about 1,000 children with MIS-C getting admitted in the Gandhi Hospital but now there are only 500 such cases, none of them has been serious,” he said.

But he added that MIS-C among kids is a concern, as there are always a fear of more cases surfacing in future.

“We are gearing up to face more cases and Niloufer and Gandhi Hospital will be nodal centres with1,500 beds in Niloufer hospital alone,” Reddy said.

According to Dr Subodh Kanthmuthan, director at the Centre for Healthcare Management in Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), the more number of cases during the second wave in children is a result of adults roaming the streets without taking enough precautions.

“More than medical reasons, the curbs that were observed during the first wave and last year lockdown are missing this year, and adults are moving around and in turn infecting children at home,” he added.