‘Deaths less among kids but Covid impacts organs’

Shilpa P | NT

Bengaluru: With rising covid 19 among children, Dr Vijayalakshmi Balekundri, noted expert and Paediatric Cardiologist has stressed on the importance of precautions to prevent covid infection among kids. Though the mortality rate is less and the symptoms are mild, there could be medical consequences among covid infected kids like it happened during the first and second wave, she said.

Speaking to News Trail, Dr Vijayalakshmi explained, “While we have observed some cases of covid 19 among children during the first wave and second wave, we have noted that their death rate (mortality) is less. Children may show mild symptoms, but among a few children, we have seen multi organ inflammation after three weeks. Apart from viral pneumonia, viral myocarditis is much higher among covid infected children than adults. Among the infected children, myocardium or the heart muscle may get inflamed, so they may lose pumping capacity and the heart may fail. All organs including liver, kidney and the pancreas can be affected in covid infected children. They can even have kidney failure. If the islets of langerhans in the pancreas is damaged, the child may become diabetic and this is one such consequence,” she explained.

She added, “Also it is very difficult to manage peadiatric cases, including putting IV lines or oxygen masks. So prevention is better than cure. With the several facilities available for testing and self testing these days, we are missing a lot of registered cases of covid 19. So it is better to take needed precautions and prevent Covid infection among children. Since the schools reopened at a time when kids were not vaccinated they became more exposed to the infection.” Dr Vijayalakshmi said.