2nd strain of Covid affecting kids more?

According to Harvard Health, many children will have no symptoms and those who get sick will have mild symptoms such as low-grade fever, fatigue, and cold

| APRIL 05, 2021, 11:08 PM IST
2nd strain of Covid affecting kids more?

India detected more than one lakh cases on Sunday, the highest daily increase recorded in the country since the onset of the pandemic. Of the 103, 558 cases in India, over 57,700 cases were reported from Maharashtra. Many researchers are calling this the second wave of the pandemic in India. India continues to scramble to contain the increasing transmission of the virus, researchers say that many new variants are found in many parts of the country. Now, Delhi AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria in an interview said that the second wave of Covid-19 is infecting kids more. 

In Bengaluru around 400 kids were infected with Covid -19, has the virus changed itself, and is it affecting younger people and kids more? Shedding light on the subject, Dr Guleria said that kids are more susceptible to the virus. Now that schools have opened and children are talking to each other, there is no Covid-appropriate behaviour being followed, hence they are contracting the virus. They have been protected for so many and therefore kids do not have many anti-bodies.

Dr. Subash Rao, Consultant Pediatrician at Reliance Hospital and Fortis Hospital, Navi Mumbai said that the Covid-19 virus has undergone a double mutation (changes in genetic structure), and the current strain is highly infectious infecting many people, especially children.

Dr. Rao said that a reverse trend is being seen in the second wave where children develop symptoms before the adults. “The second wave of Covid is known to affect the children much more than in the first wave. Also, a reverse trend is being seen that is – children develop symptoms first, and then adults are getting it from them. The difference is while in the first wave most of the children were asymptomatic, in the second wave they are coming with symptoms like fever, cold, dry cough, loose motions, vomiting, not feeding well, fatigue, loss of appetite, among other common symptoms. Few may also have breathing difficulties and rashes like any other viral fever,” he said.

“Also, another reason of rising infection among children is increasing exposure due to playing outdoor, travelling and inappropriate behaviour and laxity,” he added.

The pediatrician said that if a child is showing symptoms of Covid-19 infection, an RT PCR test should be done by the second day.

“Don’t delay or hesitate out of fear to do the test. Early diagnosis helps in early treatment. In case of an asymptomatic child with both parents Covid-19 positive, there is no need for a test but they should be kept in home quarantine for 14 days,” he told the parents.

The doctor said if a child had a fever for two days, but recovered later, they should be home quarantined for 14 days unless they were tested for Covid-19 and their report is negative on the fifth day.

“Keep in mind children can act as silent carriers or “super- spreaders” and spread it to other children and adults, who can suffer severe diseases,” he said.



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