Doctors across Britain have sounded out an alert over an increasing number of children testing positive for COVID-19. The alert speaks of ‘a growing concern’ that a coronavirus-related infection is emerging in children in Britain.
According to the Paediatric Intensive Care Society in England, ‘there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK.’
The society expressed concern over ‘a SARS-CoV-2 related inflammatory syndrome emerging in children in the UK’ and warned that ‘there may be another as yet unidentified infectious pathogen associated with these cases.’
These children, who have tested positive for coronavirus, have presented different symptoms, leading to doctors believing that this may not be exactly the same virus as seen in adults. Tests, however, have shown several children positive the way it has shown adults positive of COVID-19.
‘Their blood samples show results similar to those with serious Covid illness,’ Dr Ramesh Mehta, president of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) told CNN News18. ‘Whether this is Covid or not as seen in adults, we are not sure.’
A senior consultant with the National Health Service said that only about 25 to 30 cases have been seen so far, mostly in London. In recent days, there has been a sharp rise in cases, although the numbers may look relatively small.
‘My colleagues in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai say that they have seen similar problems in children in India as well,’ said Dr Mehta.
‘The children become suddenly seriously ill, they start with a tummy ache, pain in the abdomen, and sometimes it seems like it is an acute appendicitis sort of symptom,’ said Dr Mehta. ‘But on further testing, most of these children also have inflammation of the heart and this very quickly progresses to inflammation all over the body.’
‘The symptoms are different but test results are similar,’ said Dr Mehta. ‘That is worrying.’ Doctors are concerned that despite differences from adults, blood samples from many of these children indicates Covid, and ‘this is happening in the middle of a Covid pandemic, so there is that relationship.’
It is a ‘mysterious sort of illness’ in children, Dr Mehta added. ‘But it is serious and equally dangerous.’ But given the small numbers so far, ‘I don’t think there is a panic situation for children in general.’ Medical authorities have reassured parents that such cases are ‘very rare.’
Investigations are underway to find out what this disease exactly is. The medical director of the National Health Service (NHS) in England Stephen Powis has said that ‘we have asked our experts to look into this as a matter of urgency.’
‘It’s only in the last few days that we have seen those reports,’ he said.
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