MYSURU: The number of children succumbing to Covid-19 infection in Mysuru district is not a cause of concern as all those who died had severe comorbid conditions, authorities claim.
Officials say 15 children under the age of 17 years have died over the past 16 months, but all of them had comorbid conditions including congenital anomalies and hypothyroidism.
For example, a 12-year-old girl who contracted the virus after being in hospital for five days, was diagnosed with severe pneumonia and tuberculosis bronchiectasis besides Covid-19.
Statistics show that on average 2-3% children have contracted the infection since March 2020.
However, this June, 700 children in the district have tested positive so far.
Shivaprasad, district surveillance officer, said six children died during the first wave and since then, nine have succumbed to infection including in the second wave which has been much more severe than the first.
The figure includes three infants who died due to congenital anomalies and other health reasons.
So far, the district has recorded over 1.6 lakh Covid cases in the past 16 months.
Meanwhile, health authorities refuted rumours that a third wave of Covid-19 has hit Mysuru district since children are succumbing to infection.
They have appealed to residents not to be swayed and get worried by “false” information.
In June this year so far, the district has recorded about 19,000 positive cases of which 700 are children who have been infected with the virus.
A majority of them have been asymptomatic.
Incidentally, Mysuru is the only district where the government has not lifted lockdown restrictions due to its high positivity rate.