Moreover, he added that through follow-up, it was found that children also had prolonged clinical manifestations after recovery from acute Covid-19 infection including sequelae. Several children have been suffering from the pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome. This is a serious manifestation because of inflammation of other organs.
On February 16, the Ministry of Health hosted a nationwide online training session on guidance, care, and treatment for children with Covid-19.
Chairing the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son stated that from the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic until now, the rate of Covid-19 among people under 18 years of age in Vietnam is 19.2 percent. The rate of children aged from 13 to 17-year-olds infected with Covid-19 accounted for 4.8 percent while the rate of children aged 6-12 years old, aged 3-5 years old and aged from zero to 2 years old was 8 percent, 2.8 percent and 3.6 percent. Some 165 children died from Covid-19 nationwide.
Mr. Son also warned that with the Omicron variant, the infection will be at greater risk in the group of children who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, said that although the number of deaths from Covid-19 in children is very small, it is necessary to strengthen measures to protect obese children, children with underlying chronic diseases because when these groups are infected with Covid-19, they easily succumbed to coronavirus.
Worse, the appearance of the Omicron variant has led to more infections; thus, children infected with Covid-19 tended to increase. Vietnam has recorded some severe cases and deaths.
On the evening of February 16, the Ministry of Health said that during the day, the Southeast Asian country recorded 34,737 new infections in 63 provinces and cities, of which 25,026 were in the community.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, Vietnam has had more than 2.6 million people infected with Covid-19, ranking 34 out of 225 countries and territories. At the same time, the country has an additional 6,882 people recovered from Covid-19 disease and 66 deaths. Up to now, the number of recoveries and deaths are more than 2.2 million people and 39,188 respectively.
