Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana July 10 With the second wave of Covid receding the need of the hour now is to be prepared for the anticipated third wave with more in-patient beds and intensive care beds for children. The Indian Academy of Paediatrics has already developed the management protocol for children in this regard. Be watchful about mutant strains As per data from the first and second Covid waves even severe Covid infections in children are less likely to require ICU admissions. However there is a need to be watchful about how mutant strains will behave. As per data from the first and second Covid waves even severe Covid infections in children are less likely to require ICU admissions. However we need to be watchful about how the mutant strains will behave and be ready and prepared for the worst. In the first wave the severe disease occurred primarily in the elderly and individuals with co-morbidities. In the second wave large number of younger age group (30-45 years) individuals have developed severe disease as also those without co-morbidities. After the second wave if people do not continue following Covid appropriate behaviour the third wave if occurs is likely to infect the remaining non-immune individuals – that may include children also. Dr Rajinder Gulati member Indian Academy of Paediatrics said pandemics tend to occur in waves and each wave causes a large number of cases. Eventually most of the population may get immune by asymptomatic or symptomatic infections (herd immunity). Over time disease may die out or may become endemic in the community with low transmission rates. “The Serosurvey (December 2020 January 2021) showed that the percentage of infected children in the age group of 10-17 years was around 25 per cent the same as adults. This indicates that while children are being infected like adults they are not getting the severe disease. Children are as susceptible as adults and older individuals to develop infection but not severe disease. It is highly unlikely that the third wave will predominantly or exclusively affect children” said Dr Gulati. The spectrum of illness is likely to be much less severe in children than adults; there is only a remote possibility of children being more severely affected than adults in next wave. Hope for the best but better be ready and prepared for the worst added Dr Gulati further. Parents should be role models for kids Experts highlighted the need to be ready for a significant number of patients seeking consultations educating the parents regarding illness and warning signs on different platforms arranging more Covid wards for children with more special wards such as high-dependency units (HDU) and intensive care units (ICU). Parents should also be ideal role models to their children regarding mask etiquette hand hygiene and social distancing.

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