iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
While children escaped the worst of the first two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S., they have been far more susceptible to the highly transmissible Delta and Omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Dr Priya Soni, pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said at a panel discussion Feb 16 organized by Ethnic Media Services.
The event was part of the California Department of Public Health, the ‘Vaccinate All 58’ initiative, and ‘Week of Action’ program to deal with rising pediatric Covid-19 cases, discussed ways in which the disease is affecting children, the still low rate of child vaccination, safety and efficacy of vaccines for youth, and the value of maintaining safe daycare and school environments for in-person learning.
Dr Soni said children have been at greater risk in the third and fourth waves on account of the higher replication rate of the variants within households. The holiday season played a role, with people staying home longer and socializing more in winter.
Answering a question from indica about how differently the Omicron variant had affected children, Dr Manisha Newaskar, pediatric pulmonologist at Stanford Children’s Health Center, said the symptoms are similar to symptoms seen with previous variants, but children with pre-existing conditions present far more aggressive symptoms and need quick treatment.
The discussion, moderated by Sunita Sohrabji of Ethnic Media Services, included Dr Jose Luis Perez, chief medical officer, South Central Family Health Center, and David Roman, director of development and communications at the center.
Over 10 million American children have tested positive for Covid-19 so far, accounting for 5 percent of all hospitalization and 2 percent of all deaths in the U.S., according to recent reports by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Scientific American.
Dr Newaskar said parents must be more aware of common symptoms such as chills, sore throats, fever and cough. However, if they see the child experience croup, dizziness, chest pain, persistent chest pressure, severe abdominal pain, difficulty staying awake, and a bluish discoloration around the face and lips, they should seek immediate medical help.
She warned that such severe symptoms are not limited to children with existing conditions but could affect all children. Some have had severe pneumonia that needed hospital care while others who did not get treatment in time have died of multiple organ failure.
Vigilance is of the utmost importance for parents, Dr Newaskar said. Those parents who do not have the opportunity to take time off work must be extra vigilant, she said.
Dr Perez said the situation has placed a great burden on parents. As a result, there has been an increase in parents and children suffering from anxiety.
Roman, himself a new parent, spoke of his experience with sending children to daycare and called it “an act of faith”. He said the onus is on parents to ensure their children are well cared for and that the daycare staff are vigilant and take precautions. This is particularly important for children under five who cannot be vaccinated, he pointed out, and called upon parents to be careful about their child’s hygiene.
Dr Soni said pediatricians have been at the frontline providing accurate information on vaccine safety for children, but they cannot force parents to vaccinate their children. She urged parents with doubts about vaccine safety for their children to have a conversation with their pediatrician.
Meanwhile, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report Feb.15, showing, during the Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods, pediatric weekly hospitalization rates peaked during the weeks ending September 11, 2021, and January 8, 2022, respectively; the Omicron variant was at peak and hospitalization rates among children aged 0–4 years were approximately five times as higher during the week of the Omicron period than during the Delta period.
The study based on pediatric emergency department (ED) visits data from 2019 through January 2022 also showed Covid-19-related ED visits increased across all pandemic years and among pediatric age groups.
There were also increases in the weekly number and proportion of ED visits for certain types of injuries, some chronic diseases, and visits related to behavioral health concerns, especially among children aged from 5 to 17.
The CDC recommends increased awareness for health concerns among children that could arise due to delayed medical care and heightened emotional distress.
