COVID-19 Increasingly Common in Toddlers. Pediatrician: Beware of Two Disturbing Symptoms

The sixth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic continues to rise. The weekly report of the Ministry of Health brought another infection record. There are other disturbing news as well. The coronavirus is hitting children more and more. «We have a lot of children in our ward with COVID-19 alone. There are about 20 of them, most of them are under the age of one »- says the infectious and pediatrician Dr. Lidia Stopyra from the hospital. S. Żeromski in Krakow. Why is this happening, what are the symptoms, and what should parents pay special attention to? She explained in an interview with Medonet.

1. Pediatrician and contagious doctor Lidia Stopyra warns: in the current epidemiological situation, the youngest children are most at risk
2. Symptoms of COVID-19 that currently dominate in children are high fever (over 40 degrees) and laryngitis
3. Dr. Stopyra advises to watch carefully children who have apparently mild illness. Explains why
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

COVID-19. “The youngest children are most at risk”

We have the sixth COVID-19 wave and the most infectious mutation of the coronavirus to date – Omicron’s BA.5 sub-variant. The previous weekly reports of the Ministry of Health show that the number of infections is still increasing. The last seven days have brought a record 25 in this wave. illnesses. Daily statistics oscillate around 5 thousand. Doctors estimate, however, that there may actually be 30-40 thousand of them.

Doctors are watching something else: COVID-19 seems to be attacking children more and more, especially tiny ones. Dr. Lidia Stopyra, a specialist in infectious diseases and paediatrics, head of the Infectious Diseases and Pediatrics Department of the Specialist Hospital in Warsaw, talked about it. S. Żeromski in Krakow. – In the current epidemiological situation, the youngest children are most at risk, and they require hospitalization due to COVID-19, although the number of adults in hospitals is increasing – he points out in an interview with Medonet.

There are currently about 20 small patients with COVID-19 alone in the hospital ward in Krakow, most of them are under the age of one (apart from hospitalized children with other diseases are also hospitalized). “We have a full ward, and it’s only August,” remarks Dr. Stopyra. – Usually at this time of the year we did not have such situations. On the other hand, we expected that the beds would be more occupied, but not necessarily now.

COVID-19 symptoms in youngest and older children. Two symptoms dominate

– Now we have a wave that runs with a very high fever, above 40 degrees Celsius. For this reason, children come to us dehydrated – says Lidia Stopyra. Doctors also often see laryngitis. There are also the well-known symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting, smell and taste disorders, children often stop eating. – As you can see, there are many symptoms and they are varied. What dominates this wave is the already mentioned high fever and laryngitis – emphasizes the pediatrician.

The doctor reminds that a fever above 40 degrees C is dangerous for a small child. – If, after administration of antipyretic drugs, it does not drop, such children go to the hospital. Therefore, it is worth remembering not to keep the child at home in such a situation. It is necessary to visit a doctor and decide whether it can be treated at home or whether a hospital is indicated. Because remember that not every such situation must lead to hospitalization.

There are times (but rarely) where older children go through COVID-19 very hard. – These are children who have not been vaccinated or have been infected with the coronavirus. They also come into contact with the pathogen for the first time. Parents must remember this and be vigilant – she warns.

Why is the coronavirus especially targeting young children now?

The reasons why COVID-19 particularly hits young children are clear to doctors. – Let’s remember that part of the society got vaccinated. A lot of people have had the disease. So these people have some immunity to the coronavirus. And even if an infection does occur, they will most likely pass it mildly, reminds Dr. Stopyra.

– Little children are in a completely different situation. They encounter the virus for the first time (and not one time). Of course, some have antibodies from mom, but they only last in the first few months of life. Children who have already lost this protection become more ill, often requiring hospitalization – he explains.

The pediatrician pays attention to one more important point. – Currently, we do not have any sanitary regime (we do not wear face masks, etc.), there are many infections (we do not even know exactly how many). In such a situation, the child must come into contact with the pathogen. We should also remember that the toddler’s immune system is just learning, maturing (only at eight years of age does it reach a level similar to that of an adult) – explains the specialist.