[ad_1]
Sixth appointment with the direct Facebook of Mayor Michele de Pascale to discuss the problems of health care and the Covid emergency, which is putting doctors and hospitals around the world in serious difficulties. On Wednesday, the guest of the interview was Federico Marchetti, head of Pediatrics and Tin – Neonatal Intensive Care of Ravenna. The Pediatrics of Ravenna is also made up of the Faenza and Lugo operating units, working in unison, and also has a pediatric emergency service that has about 10,000 accesses a year. The department also deals with the management of children who need care related to disciplines such as neurology, gastroenterology, nephrology, rheumatology and endocrinology.
Covid in pediatric age: what is there to know?
“This scourge saves childhood in terms of physical health – explains Dr. Marchetti – Some children can become infected, but fortunately they have very mild manifestations and half of them are asymptomatic. Like all viral or infectious forms, there may be exceptions: Many will have heard of Kawasaki syndrome (a rare inflammatory disease that affects blood vessels and generally affects children under the age of five; from studies published so far, it appears that Kawasaki may be favored by an excessive immune reaction to a ‘ infection, a reaction that Covid could actually cause, ed). We have just had the first case, but they are situations that we know and know how to manage. In these long months, about ten children have been hospitalized for Covid, and this should reassure parents and the children themselves, who should know that having Covid in the vast majority of cases does not entail anything “.
Rather, there is a health discourse of another kind, a general wellness health. “Isolation has also created positive things – explains the chief doctor – being in a home environment followed by parents, pampered … But along with this there is an experience of their perception that we must think about now for the future: not to go to school, not seeing friends, not playing sports … Mental health is a precious commodity, many parents and teachers are working excellently for it. But if we broaden our view, there is a secondary pandemic: damage that is transferred to childhood, which must be taken into account. I am amazed by the deep dignity of children, the sense of deep responsibility: when I ask children to lower their masks to check their throats, they look at their parents as if they were asking ‘should I do it? ‘. He is a precious example for us and we must follow suit. “
Infectious at school
The mayor of Pascale questions the doctor about infections at school and about possible differences in infections and the relative consequences between different schools. “At a time when there are continuous openings and closings, it is difficult to understand the influence of the school on infections – answers Marchetti – With respect to the reality of Ravenna, as of December 12, cases from 0 to 18 years old were 15% of the total; From 0 to 6 years they are 2.8% of the total and from 6 to 10 4.2%, in the range of adolescence 7.6%. If we look from February to now, in August there was a rebound in cases, while at the time of closing and opening of schools, the cases remained the same. The two-three months of opening the nurseries, as well as the opening of the primary school were won. The adolescent gamut is clearly more exposed, but it is also necessary to say that there have been no major outbreaks in schools: many infections have come from adults ”.
“One thing we can say clearly – says the primary school – it seems that the younger the children, the less they are sources of contagion. In school, as in hospital, in the vast majority of cases children are very good. The risk exists at school. as well as in the hospital, despite the deep precautions; but we must follow the course of reopening. All the sacrifice that we health professionals are making, we are doing for our elderly and our children. The reopening of the school will depend a lot on what we do right now. “
Vaccines: What are the prospects for pediatric vaccination?
Then we move on to talking about vaccines. “Given that other diseases continue to exist and there should be no delays in diagnosis or other vaccines, on the 27th I am going to be vaccinated and I cannot wait – Marchetti immediately specifies – Children are not going to be vaccinated at this time, because not they take risks; in childhood it is necessary to have more information, not so much about the effectiveness of vaccination, but in terms of doses and methods. In the ward I saw deniers, it is not a positive experience. A parent should think about the health of the child and then that of the community. As for the English variant, it seems that the vaccine is equally effective: you have to have scientific data at hand to talk.
Covid, pregnancy and lactation
New mothers are very concerned about the coronavirus. “In pregnancy not much happens, perhaps there is a small increase in premature birth, but then you are born with spontaneous delivery – reassures the doctor – The Italian society of neonatology, through various studies, has brought guidelines that are now reported as guidelines also in America on how to behave The newborn can stay with his mother, be breastfed while the mother has the mask and hands disinfected, and even if the newborn is positive, he is not detained any longer in the hospital. With Ausl Romagna we have put in place a very effective system: at 21 days the positive newborn is swabbed to see if it is negative, then we visit him in the hospital or even at home, because at that time the mother must be sure that does not happen. nothing serious. Most positive newborns are completely asymptomatic. Preserving the event of birth gives us great satisfaction and we are working in that direction. “
