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Dr. Ž., Head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Clinics Santara Inga Ivaškevičienė and Vaidotas Gurskis, Head of the Department of Pediatric Intensive Care at the Kaunas Clinics, said that it is practically impossible to distinguish whether a child simply has a cold or contracted COVID -19.
“Parents may not even realize that the child is sick because symptoms can only be felt for a few hours, at noon, and then disappear completely. A child can develop a COVID-19 infection without feeling any signs of the disease, but the long-term consequences persist, ”he said.
According to I. Ivaškevičienė, children often not only get sick with the coronavirus, but it strikes them less often overall.
“The question of why this is the case is not fully answered. Children are believed to have fewer certain receptors that the virus binds to. I agree that children are less affected by the coronavirus, but their illness and hospitalization still have a negative impact not only on the health of children but also on the health and quality of life of the whole family, so I would avoid saying that some people get sick, sick, others more difficult, said Santara.
– However, if you look only at the statistics, it is certainly better for children. There have been no deaths of children in Lithuania, but this does not mean that children do not enter the hospital, fall, are treated in the intensive care unit, we had such cases. The treatment of each child in the intensive care unit is really very important ”.
Morbidity is increasing
According to I. Ivaškevičienė, the incidence of coronavirus infection in children is increasing slightly: “If a few days ago the situation seemed quite stable, today the increase in incidence is visible. I can’t say that things are going to get worse from now on, but seeing as more and more municipalities are turning black, a positive boost is unlikely. “
V. Gurskis stated that children with COVID-19 infection have various complications.
“In fact, there have been several cases of coronavirus infection. After the first wave, we noticed a sharp increase in the number of children with diabetes, which almost doubled. There have also been reports of systemic inflammatory responses in children.
It is such an uncontrolled inflammation caused by a virus that is not present in our body. When it starts, the immune system begins to attack your organs, all systems, thereby disrupting your cardiovascular function and affecting your blood cells.
Inflammation not only manifests itself in the form of fever, it can even lead to kidney failure. However, all the cases in which this inflammation began in children in Lithuania ended happily, said the doctor from the Kaunas clinics.
– We also saw even more serious cases when we hit the ‘British’ strain of coronavirus this spring. Children with COVID-19 infection were treated with resuscitation and received oxygen therapy, but all cases were even milder than adults and fewer. “
V. Gurskis admitted that although children get sick less often, they often feel the lasting consequences when they get sick. They have impaired memory, impaired cognitive function, and fatigue.
A child’s vaccination option?
“There is a worldwide debate about whether parents can decide for their children, whether they should be vaccinated or not. There is also talk of vaccinating children under the age of twelve. It is important to raise this and other issues in society, to educate people about the need for the vaccine.
However, I think adults should get vaccinated first. The coronavirus is a focal infection, so vaccinating adults reduces the chances of the disease spreading in work equipment and leisure facilities, the doctor said.
– Adults are more carriers of the virus than children. To strengthen herd immunity, we must first focus on vaccinating a group of adults. I also believe that people’s decision not to get vaccinated must be respected, because the vaccine is still new. “
The head of the Department of Infectious Diseases agreed with the opinion of V. Gurskis that the issue of vaccination of children should be raised in society, but said that the final decision should be made by specialists.
“It is good that the benefits of vaccines are discussed, whether children under twelve should be vaccinated or not, but it is important to consider the possible complications of getting sick.
Children may experience the aforementioned post-ovidatory symptoms, inflammatory syndrome. If there is a way to protect yourself from all these things, why not take advantage of it? The doctor asked.
– The COVID-19 infection is like a lottery ticket, we cannot know who will win and get sick easily, and who will go into resuscitation, who will need sophisticated treatments. Also, children are more or less involved in the epidemiological chain, transmitting the virus, so I think it is worth vaccinating children. However, the investigation is endless, so there is no final verdict. “
