More newborns show symptoms

1%-2% develop significant symptoms of cough and require admission

COVID-19 cases among the paediatric population has been on the rise in Tamil Nadu. Doctors have been noticing that more newborns are presenting with symptoms during the second wave of the contagion than in the first wave. At least 1,000-1,300 children, aged 0-12, are testing positive daily over the past few days. “The number of children testing positive is quite high. When parents test positive, the children, too, are infected,” said S. Srinivasan, State Nodal Officer-Child Health. Though children were affected, there was no progression to severe disease, said J. Kumutha, expert adviser-child health, National Health Mission-Tamil Nadu. “We are seeing mild to moderate disease in children. Nevertheless, children with co-morbidities, such as malignancies, chronic diseases and other immune-compromised conditions, should be protected as they run the risk of getting infected, and mortality is high,” she said.