Pimpri-Chinchwad: Over 1,400 children in home isolation, only 55 hospitalised

According to PCMC health department, in the first 15 days of this month, over 1,500 children have been detected with Covid-19. Of the 1,500 children, more than 95% or 1,400 children were home-isolated.

Only 55 children required hospitalisation. All of them were admitted to PCMC-run Jijamata Hospital which has been exclusively reserved for children affected by coronavirus. “Of the 55 children who were admitted to the hospital, only seven are currently undergoing treatment. Rest of them have been discharged after seven days of treatment,” said Dr Sunita Salve, who is the incharge at Jijamata Hospital.

The PCMC administration said contrary to the belief that children would be severely affected in the third wave, there has been no such indication so far. Of the 55 children who were admitted to the hospital, almost all of them suffered mild to moderate symptoms and none of them required to be put in intensive care unit or IVU as they did not develop severe symptoms. “Currently, there are only seven children in the hospital. None of the children required oxygen support as their oxygen saturation level did not go down. And not a single child turned critical and therefore no one was shifted to the ICU,” said Dr Salve.

Fever and cough were the main symptoms among the children admitted. “But these symptoms did not progress to severe condition. The children mostly required seven days of hospitalisation. Even after they are discharged, we are monitoring their health. So far, none of them had any major problem,” said Dr Salve.

Almost all the children had to be admitted to the hospital along with their parents. “In most cases, the parents had to be admitted to the hospital along with the children. This is because some of the kids were less than 10 or 5 years. In other cases, it was seen that parents were first detected positive and after tests, even kids were found positive. So they were all admitted in one ward,” Dr Salve said.

Though only 55 children were admitted to PCMC hospitals, civic officials said among those home isolated, some of them might have been admitted to private hospitals by their parents as precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday said the government will take a call on reopening of schools after about 15 days. The schools have been shut till February 15. “We are closely monitoring the situation. It has emerged that children have not been severely affected in the current wave. The issue has been discussed in the cabinet meeting. I have also discussed it with the Chief Minister. We have decided that we will take a call on the school reopening only after 15 days,” Tope said.