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Covid-19 is taking a toll on one country at a time. As the situation in India gets under control, the deadly virus has shifted its focus on Indonesia. Hundreds of children in Indonesia have died as a result of Covid-19, many of whom are under the age of five, demonstrating that children are no longer safe from the deadly infection. It was also reported that Indonesia has a greater child mortality rate due to Covid than any other country. During the week of July 12, more than 150 children died from Covid-19, with half of the latest deaths affecting children under the age of five, according to Dr Aman Bhakti Pulungan, president of the Indonesian Pediatric Society. Citing paediatrician reports, Pulungan said that children account for 12.5% of the country's confirmed cases, an increase over prior months.
Delta variant, first identified in India, has crept its way to many other countries. The rise in mortality in Indonesia also corresponds to the spread of the delta variant in Southeast Asia, where vaccination rates are poor, resulting in record outbreaks not only in Indonesia but also in Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. In July, Indonesia surpassed India and Brazil in terms of daily cases, becoming the pandemic's new epicentre. On Friday, the authorities announced that there had been roughly 50,000 new infections and 1,566 deaths.
IANS quoted Dr Yasir Arafat, Asia health adviser to the nonprofit group Save the Children, "Not only are countries like Indonesia seeing record numbers of children dying from the virus but we're also seeing an alarming rise in children missing out on routine vaccinations and nutrition services that are critical for their survival, which should ring major alarm bells."
Health experts and studies suggest that children with underlying health diseases such as malnutrition, obesity, diabetes and heart disease are at a higher risk of death. It is important to follow the scheduled vaccination routine for your kids. Dr Shyam Kukreja, Senior Director & Head of The Department, Paediatric (Ped), Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, advises all parents to stick to the scheduled vaccination for the baby. "If the baby is not infected, there is no need to delay any vaccination. However, if the child is positive for coronavirus, wait for 2-3 weeks after the kid recovers completely from the infection before getting the baby vaccinated against other diseases."
Just like adults, children can develop mild to moderate symptoms where else some may experience severe symptoms of Covid. Common symptoms of Covid-19 in children include fever, chills, runny nose, trouble in breathing, loss of smell and taste, and diarrhoea.
Children are the heart of the fears around the third wave of Covid-19 in India. These concerns have also arisen as a result of the new delta form, which is believed to be impacting children in nations such as the United Kingdom, Singapore and now Indonesia. However, doctors now believe that focusing the third wave's fears on children is overly alarmist. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), a professional group of paediatricians, issued a lengthy statement on May 22 to allay these anxieties and put them in context. The statement read, "Children are as susceptible as adults and older individuals to develop an infection but not a severe disease. It is highly unlikely that the third wave will predominantly or exclusively affect children."
After the devastating second wave, India has learnt lessons to be prepared for future adversities. States are already taking steps to guarantee that there are arrangements in place to protect youngsters. For instance, the Delhi government has already planned a special task force to protect children in the national capital. Karnataka is setting up pediatric Covid care centres in all districts. Other states are also preparing to protect the children and protect them against Covid-19.
There are currently no Covid-19 vaccines available for children in India, and only people over the age of 18 are entitled to receive one. This could be one of the reasons why future waves of youngsters are affected. Dr Randeep Guleria recently said that vaccines for children could become available as soon as September.
However, only two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have been approved for use in people under 18 years. Currently, other vaccines are being tested for emergency use in children, including Covaxin, Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine, Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D, Novavax, and Sputnik V.
As we wait for vaccinations to be made available for kids, it is best to follow all protocols such as masking, social distancing, and proper ventilation can allow children to go back to their normal schedules. Dr Suresh Birajdar, Consultant, Pediatrics & Neonatology, Motherhood Hospital, Kharghar, shared some ways you can safeguard your child: