How COVID-19 Pandemic is Managed in Children and Infants?

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world to a great extent and India is ranking second in the world when it comes to the most infected countries. According to the doctors at the child hospital in Agra, there are primarily two phases involved in the management of COVID conditions among adults. These are viremia and immune response. Although antiviral drugs are given to patients in some cases these have a limited role because the patient conditions worsen due to the hyperinflammatory immune phase of the disease. The management principles and treatment approach for COVID are more or less similar between adults and adolescents.

But when it comes to infants, they are at the highest risk to this pandemic along with the children who are suffering from Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome which is observed in patients after 2 to 4 weeks of COVID-19. Explaining the symptoms, the pediatrician in Agra observed that the symptoms that are observed in children are quite different from adults. In the case of pediatric patients, the commonly appearing symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. Further, the symptoms can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe based on the condition of the patient.

For instance, in case of mild symptoms in the case of infants, it is advised that patients should identify the red flag signals. According to the renowned neonatologist in Agra, in children, the primary symptoms include breathing difficulties. In the case of infants, inability to breastfeed, and grunting are some commonly found symptoms along with blue lips, chest pain, inability to drink and swallow the liquid. Several investigations are also conducted to diagnose the disease so that the treatment can be initiated at the earliest. A chest x-ray is recommended in patients of all age groups and from moderate to severe cases. CBC, TLC, DLC, Platelets, are other tests that are recommended to patients once the above-mentioned symptoms are observed in the children and infants.

Clinical management of the disease involves a systematic approach right from the identification of the symptoms. The doctors at the Children Hospital in Agra recommend that in mild cases, Paracetamol is advisable and no antiviral therapy is required while in moderate to severe cases, drugs like Remdesivir may be given to the critically ill patients. In addition to this, there are also rescue therapies which include steroids, etc. Based on the patient’s condition, the right treatment approach is adopted which helps the little ones to overcome diseases like COVID.