NEW DELHI: A month-old baby, who was found Covid-positive five days ago, got discharged from hospital on Friday.
Doctors at Moolchand Hospital, where the baby was admitted, said he came to them with complaints of excessive irritability and decreased feed. On examination, they found that the infant had fever and ear infection, so it was decided to admit him.
Dr Preeti Chadda, consultant, department of neonatology and paediatrics at the hospital, said according to their pre-admission policy, a Rapid Antigen Test was done and it came Covid-positive. “The baby was admitted in Covid isolation NICU and supported with intravenous fluids and antibiotics for ear infection. Close monitoring was done for four days. Finally, when his condition improved, we decided to discharge him,” she added.
The hospital has seen 3-5 small babies in the past two weeks who had Covid-19. “Since they present mild symptoms, we advise home isolation. Hospitalisation is not required unless the baby has an underlying medical condition,” Chadda explained.
In the last two weeks, cases of Covid-19 among children have gone up significantly. However, few require hospitalisation. Limited data from India suggests 40-60% of hospitalised children with Covid have comorbidity, said an AIIMS doctor.
The data on 37 Covid deaths that took place in government hospitals in Delhi between January 9 and 12 also suggested the same. It showed that seven out of 37 deceased were less than 18 years of age and three were yet to celebrate their first birthday. Most of these children suffered from comorbidities, such as thalassemia and congenital heart disease.
Dr Anamika Dubey, senior consultant at Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital, said very few children suffering from Covid-19 required admission. “We have had 10-12 admissions in paediatrics since January 1. Most were hospitalised due to poor intake of nutrition and dehydration caused by fever,” she added.
Doctors said a close watch was needed for timely detection of multi-system inflammatory syndrome. Most children suffer from fever, sore throat, running nose and cough due to Covid-19. A very small percentage of children develop pneumonia, fast breathing and low levels of oxygen saturation.
It was important to watch out for warning signs, such as difficulty breathing, fast or shallow breathing, blue lips or face, chest pain or pressure or inability to awaken or not interact when awake, in children suffering from mild to moderate illness. Such patients may require immediate medical attention.
