Children comprise 12% of cases in Assam in second wave

GUWAHATI: About 12% of the

Covid

cases in the second wave in Assam are infections in children below 18 years. As preparations are on to ready paediatric ICUs across districts to deal with a possible third wave of Covid-19, the health department informed that 34,606 children within the age group of 18 years were infected by the virus this time.

From April 1 to June 26, total 2,80,504 people tested Covid-positive in the state.

A total of 5,755 cases are children below five years whereas 28,851 were between 6 and 18 years.

Kamrup (

Metropolitan

) has the highest caseload with 5,346 of children found to be infected. This stands at 10.04% of the total caseload of 53,251 in the district. Dibrugarh follows next with 2,430 Covid cases among children, which accounts for 12.19% of children infected out of total 19,937 cases in the upper Assam district. Nagaon is placed third with 2,288 cases below 18 years and this stands at 14.38% of children infected out of total 15,910 cases.

Kamrup district is placed fourth with 2,023 Covid cases among the children, which is 11.75% of children infected out of a total 17,216 cases.

Sonitpur

, one of the most vulnerable districts during the second wave, is at fifth with 1,839 cases.

“Different districts have more or less number of Covid-infected persons belonging to less than 18 years of age. From April 1 till June 26, 2021, the state has reported 34 deaths among the above category,” read a statement issued by Assam National Health Mission.

A health department spokesperson said the fatalities reported had comorbidities like congenital diseases in heart, kidney and rare malformations, especially among less than five years.

In Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) here, 135 positive cases of below 14 years were admitted since April and nine deaths were reported.

GMCH

superintendent Dr Abhijit Sarma told TOI that these cases were asymptomatic. “From parents, the infection spread to most of the children. But there is another group, where the newborns got infected immediately after birth,” he said. A 40-bed ICU is ready for paediatric treatment in GMCH, he said.

In the first wave, counted from March last year to April this year, GMCH received 228 cases of Covid-positive children for treatment of whom 12 died. At present, nine children are undergoing Covid treatment in GMCH.

During the ongoing Assam Community Surveillance Program Phase III (ACSP III), many children staying with Covid-positive parents and guardians, who have opted for home isolation, were subsequently tested Covid positive.

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