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Covid-19 cases among children are rising, warn UAE doctors

Medics are urging elders to pay particular attention to their children's abdominal symptoms or nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Doctors in the UAE are warning parents to take care of their children as the percentage of kids with coronavirus is gradually increasing.
Medics are urging elders to pay particular attention to their children's abdominal symptoms or nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. These symptoms are particularly prominent in kids and in many cases can be attributed to community and intra family transmission.
"A baby came in with mild symptoms and remained in stable condition throughout her stay in the hospital. At the beginning of the outbreak, it seemed that the number of infected children was not high. However, we now see an increase. At this point it is believed that children are at the same risk of acquiring the Covid-19 virus as adults, but luckily their symptoms are milder," said Dr Yasser El Nakhlawi, American board-certified paediatrics consultant at Al Zahra Hospital.
Reiterating similar sentiments, experts say countries like China, New York and Italy have witnessed some severe Covid-19 cases among children with rash outbreaks in hands and toes, nasal congestion, red tongue, accompanied with high fever.
Dr Abhijeet Trivedi, paediatrics and neonatology specialist at Aster Hospital, Mankhool said: "Most children with Covid-19 may exhibit only mild symptoms requiring only supportive care. But recently, it is found and reported an increased number of critically ill children in certain other countries, with features of Kawasaki disease (swelling and redness in blood vessels) and toxic shock syndrome (a condition caused by bacterial toxins) with covid 19 infection."
Some doctors, however, feel many kids may remain asymptomatic for a long time. Dr Rafia Owera, specialist paediatrician at Prime Medical Centre, Jumeirah Branch, said: "Thankfully even if children contract it, they do not have the same risk like grownups. The virus in most children's cases does not become as aggressive. In the UAE, the recovery among children has been good so far.
"I also feel more cases are being revealed now, as everyone is more aware about the disease. So, more tests are being conducted for Covid-19. Often parents and elders become 'silent carriers' of the disease for their children, who themselves remain indoors. Parents should be more alert and should encourage children to use masks when stepping out and should definitely consult a paediatrician in case they observe high fever or severe diarrhoea. Symptoms of Covid-19 in children, is very different from those in adults," she added.
nandini@khaleejtimes.com