BHUBANESWAR: Though there is no specific study to suggest that children will be among the worst affected in a possible third wave of Covid, experts have vouched for protecting them from exposure to the infection and also keeping the paediatric health infrastructure ready to deal with any eventuality.
The paediatric critical care experts said no one has so far said with certainty whether or not there will be a third wave, if the virus will become more virulent or less so and such other things.
Amid instances of people getting re-infected, no on can predict whether or not children will be hit.
“It sounds preposterous to say that the first wave hit the geriatric group, the second one adolescents, so the third will affect children.
We, too, don’t know what the mutant variant of the virus will hold in the days to come.
However, we should be prepared to augment children’s critical care infrastructure and use well-trained skilled staff to treat them, if such a situation arises.
We have so far been adept at adult critical care, but we need to extrapolate the existing facilities into child care,” Dr Ranjan Joshi, head of the paediatric critical care for coronovirus pandemic for south-Australia, told .
Joshi further said it has been seen in the case of many diseases that the lungs of children get easily affected but multi-organ involvement is almost nil, whereas in adults there are instances of other organs being affected as well.
“Children have a better chance of recovery.
If a situation arises where more children get infected, no one should panic.
The skilled doctors will be able to handle it.
Most of the infected children may not need hospitalisation at all,” he added.
The government has made massive preparations anticipating an imminent third wave of Covid and the possibility of it affecting children.
It has started creating awareness among parents through video messages containing expert views.
Dr Janaki Ballav Pradhan, senior doctor, paediatric critical care and neonatologist at AMRI Hospital here said, “People shouldn’t spread panic unnecessarily.
The virus is affecting children now also and they are recovering well.
Our health infrastructure is equipped to address critical care needs, but parents should be aware so that there is no delay in providing medical attention.
However, as far as practicable, parents shouldn’t expose the children to crowds or take them for group dates.
But at the same time, they should ensure a healthy and happy environment for the kids.”