No need to panic, doctors say, advising kids with flu symptoms to skip school
No need to panic, doctors say, advising kids with flu symptoms to skip school
Weeks after schools reopen for this academic year, doctors are seeing a spike in viral infections among children.
Various hospitals and doctors in the city are receiving many children with symptoms of cold, cough and fever. While there is no reason to panic, doctors say these children are best kept away from school and seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
At the Institute of Children’s Health and Children’s Hospital, a senior pediatrician said: “There has been an increase in cases in the last two weeks. Many children did not attend school during the pandemic and are now exposed to viruses. We are seeing children mainly with colds, coughs, sore throats and fever,” said the doctor.
At the Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, S. Balasubramanian, a consultant pediatrician, said there were more children with fevers, coughs and colds now than they usually see in June. “Typically, cold and flu season is from September to January. Now this has changed. As of April, we have been seeing quite a few children with coughs, colds, fevers, and many with wheezing due to viral infections. The coronavirus is probably being replaced by other viruses due to reduced physical distancing, reopening of schools, and overcrowding,” he said. The unusual rains could also be responsible for the resurgence of infections, he added.
“If we do test, a small percentage could be positive for COVID-19. But we do not recommend testing children with mild symptoms. Some parents take the test out of anxiety. We have had no serious cases of COVID-19 in the last few months in the hospital,” she said.
Along with colds and coughs, diarrhea and vomiting have also increased, possibly due to the change in season, another pediatrician in the city said. “Most of the schools recently reopened, so there is more chance of cross-infection. Most are self-limited in a few days and do not require admission,” he said.
Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan, senior consultant for Infectious Diseases at Kauvery Hospital, said many children have reported upper respiratory tract infections (URIs). “We are seeing two forms of presentation in children: congestion, sneezing, URI and headache, and sore throat along with a high fever. Some of them have no fever. So we are seeing children with URIs or flu-like presentations, but there have been no major issues or pediatric admissions,” she said.
Since children are the factor in the spread, he said those with mild symptoms should not be sent to school. “Testing is recommended when classic COVID-like symptoms are present. Help in isolation,” she said.
Dr. Balasubramanian said that parents should rest easy and there is no need to worry. “Symptomatic treatment is adequate. With schools reopening, viral infections are likely to increase due to less physical distancing and increased exposure. Warning signs include fever for more than three or four days, shortness of breath, extreme lethargy, very poor intake, and fever with rash,” he said.
Source: www.thehindu.com