New Delhi: While there is no data or evidence to show that children are not susceptible to COVID infection, Omicron may not have a significant impact on children in India, experts argued on Monday. According to health officials in South Africa, the new super mutant version of Covid-19 – Omicron, is increasing the number of hospitalizations in children under the age of five. Wasila Jasat, a public health expert at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), said: “A new trend in this wave is the increase in hospitalizations of children under five years of age.”
However, allaying fears of a similar scenario in India, microbiologist Dr Soumitra Das of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) on Monday said that the omicron cannot infect children in other countries, especially in India. In a way it is affecting the children. South Africa, media reports said.
Dr HK Mahajan, anesthesiologist at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, told IANS, “As far as the Omicron version of COVID-19 is concerned, there is no such threat to children. As a country, we are from Omicron. We are ready to meet the virus because we have enough pediatric wards and pediatricians, as well as the necessary infrastructure.”
The NICD also said that children under two years of age account for about 10 percent of total hospitalizations in Tshwane, South Africa’s Omicron epicenter, the report said.
But Das said that Indians will not be affected like this.
Mahajan agreed, saying: “Our natural immunity will aid us in the fight against the Omicron virus.”
However, Dr Vikram Gagneja, a pediatrician, pediatrician and pediatrician at HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi, told IANS that Indian children may also be at a similar risk.
“Given the lack of vaccination in this age group, the South African situation in India may be replicated as well as it is difficult to maintain appropriate handling of COVID, especially among infants and young children,” he said.
While 50 per cent of the adult population in India has received two doses of the vaccine, and 84 per cent have received one, children in the country are yet to be vaccinated.
On the other hand, many countries including the US and Israel are well established against COVID in their vaccination programs for children.
Dr Praveena, Pediatrician at Amrita Hospital, Kochi said, “India should follow suit and start pediatric COVID vaccination at the earliest, as more and more schools and educational institutions open their doors to in-person classes. are opening.” IANS
Praveena said that although “infection in children has been mild … there is no data or evidence indicating that children are not susceptible to infection”.
Risks in children can be reduced by following public health measures already recommended by health officials – maintaining hand hygiene, wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance, and staying away from crowded places.
Gagneja said the only way to protect children is to start vaccination for them. If a situation arises, it is also necessary to upgrade our healthcare system to cater to the children.
“This is also the time when young populations are most vulnerable to other types of respiratory viruses or allergies, so separating them from omicrons through appropriate testing is helpful to avoid unnecessary panic situations,” he said.
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