There is an increase in the number of children admitted to the Makarios Hospital with COVID, according to head of Pediatric Clinic, Dr Avraam Elia, who told CNA this is due to lifting all restrictive measures and the Omicron BA5 subvariant.
He said that in the last days the number of children admitted doubled from two to three and is now around six to seven daily. Most are under five and there are even infants. The children present symptoms of high fever, with numbers a lot higher than other variants and lasting three to four days.
Children also complain of feeling unwell, not wanting to eat or having gastrointestinal disorders and many have to be admitted to take intravenous hydration and supportive treatment.
Currently, there are six children in hospital with COVID. Three were released on Tuesday and two were admitted. Two children are under a year old, Dr Elia said.
Asked about their condition, Dr. Elia remarked that the children’s condition is not serious, they are out of danger and also there is no lower respiratory infection. Until now, he noted, no lower respiratory infections, pneumonia or bronchitis were reported.
He said they hoped there will not be an increase in cases with the late complication of the coronavirus which is usually observed a few weeks after the onset of COVID, the so-called Minsk syndrome.
“It is something that we are monitoring. If we observe children, who are indicative of Minsk’s syndrome, such as children with a high fever that persists beyond three days, children who are unwell, have fatigue, rash, gastrointestinal disorders, the appropriate diagnosis and treatment must be made,” he added.
Asked about the increase in the number of children admitted with COVID, Dr. Elia said it was due to lifting all restrictive health measures and masks abolished in indoor areas. This resulted in a surge of cases, he said something that has been observed in other European countries too.
He also said the Omicron BA5 subvariant is highly transmissible and easily causes disease.
Source: Cyprus News Agency