So far we have seen five variants of concerns and few recombinants of coronavirus
The emergence of a new variant signals the adoption of a higher level of protection and precautionary measures. It is a common perception that a new strain will always be mightier than its ancestors due to several reasons.
COVID pandemic in its third year has already seen several mutations of the coronavirus including five major variants of concern, responsible for massive waves of infection, and few recombinants. Of these the most discussed one right now is the XE variant which is said to be the recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 strains.
While the genome sequencing done so far on the samples of Covid-19 positive cases do not suggest presence of the XE variant in Delhi, as per a report, the scare of this new variant should be addressed properly.
As per health experts, older people and kids are more prone to COVID risks and should be taken care of during this critical time.
Read: Why more children in the age of 5-11 are getting very sick with COVID in the US
Common symptoms of COVID in kids
"It is seen that Children usually have only mild symptoms of COVID-19 which are quite difficult to differentiate from other viral illnesses and disease. The common symptoms are fever, runny nose, cough, generalized body pain, vomiting , loose stools, few kids also develop pain in abdomen. Most children do well, but those with underlying health problems, particularly those with heart, lung, liver, or kidney problems, are more likely to become sicker," says Dr. Sachin Kandhari, Senior Neurosurgeon and Managing Director, IBS Hospital, New Delhi.
The various common symptoms of COVID seen in kids are:
Fever: A high temperature on the body, especially chest and back.
Continuous cough, mostly dry: Episodes of continuous cough within few hours or in a day are signs of COVID.
Change in smell or taste: Many kids do not get the taste or smell of things after getting infected with COVID. This is difficult to find out as kids would not be knowing it themselves, but keep an eye for clues.
Loss of appetite: Sudden lack of interest in food is a sign of infection and fever.
Runny nose: If the runny nose condition persists for a longer duration than usual test your child for COVID.
Sore throat: Itchy or scratch throat is another sign of a possible COVID attack.
Diarrhoea: Disturbance in the gut health leading to frequent stool or diarrhea is another sign of COVID.
Shortness of breath: If your child is having difficulty in breathing you should take him or her to a doctor immediately
Body pain: Many kids can not complain about this, but if your child seems to be in pain then ask about body aches and take medical suggestion.
Vaccination in kids
As of now, vaccination programs have not been rolled out for kids below 12 years of age.
On Thursday, the drug regulator’s expert panel on Covid vaccines recommended granting emergency use authorisation to Biological E's Corbevax for use in children in the 5-11 years' age group. The final approval to Corbevax is expected by next week, news agencies have said.
Precautions to be taken
Kids should be encouraged to adopt healthy habits like wearing masks, keeping physical distance of 1 metre from others and washing hands frequently.
Kids should be taught about the virus in a proper manner so that they understand what are the disadvantages of being careless.
Kids should be taught the symptoms of COVID so that whenever they feel unease they can report it to the parents or the teachers immediately.