Third wave? 350 children test Covid positive every week in Mysuru

Mysuru: A considerably high number of children are being infected with Covid-19 virus triggering the apprehension of a possible third wave. As many as 450 children (0-18 years) have contracted Covid in Mysuru in the past week. From June 14 to 20, 472 children tested positive.

As per reportd an average 350 children, invariably primary or secondary contacts, have caught the infection every week since April 2020 and majority are teenagers, and most were asymptomatic.

Women and child welfare authorities said that all individuals below 18 years of age are considered paediatric cases, between April 2020 and March 2021, nearly 17,000 children were infected.

“The department has identified severely and moderately malnourished children and are focusing on their health through awareness. The district has 130 severely underfed children and about 9,000 moderately undernourished. All 2,872 anganwadi centres in the district have been directed to monitor the health of malnourished children and to educate their parents and guardians to provide them with a nutritious diet to fight any infection,” K Padma, deputy director, women and child welfare, was quoted TOI.

Earlier this week, the 16-member expert committee headed by cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty had recommended a slew of measures to combat the possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is expected to largely affect children.

In its interim report submitted to the state government, the panel outlined that as many as 3.4 lakh children in Karnataka are likely to be infected by the peak of the third wave, keeping in mind “conservative estimates”.

The Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) said the state may witness the possible surge of third wave either in October or November.

The experts estimated a peak requirement of 3,677 hospital beds in Bengaluru for children, out of which 1,838 beds will be ICU and HDU (high dependency unit). Additionally, it estimated that 7,353 beds will be required in Covid Care Centres for children during the third wave’s peak.

Statewide, it estimates that out of the 2.38 crore population aged 0-18 years, as many as 3.4 lakh children will be infected, requiring 27,205 hospital beds with 13,602 ICU/HDU beds and 54,409 beds in Covid Care Centres.