A Covid-19 baby girl is being treated in a hospital (Photo: SGGP)
A three-month-old baby in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Tan District has been infected with the coronavirus. The mother Tran Thi Ngot said because a family member had caught the disease; therefore, a few days later, the baby started showing signs of fever, shortness of breath, cyanosis and was taken to the Children's Hospital of the City for an emergency. The baby tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
After being hospitalized for two days, the baby was experiencing a blood infection and his condition became critical. Doctor Tran Van Minh, from the infectious disease department, said that the baby was one of three children infected with severe Covid-19 who had to be put on a ventilator.
The number of hospitalized pediatric patients with Covid-19 at the hospital has exceeded the initial estimate of 100 patients for many days. Accordingly, six negative pressure isolation rooms of the hospital are always full.
Since being put into operation, the field hospital collecting Covid-19 treatment No. 4 has also received many Covid-19 children. Deputy Director of the hospital Nguyen Tran Nam said that the infirmary has received and treated more than 600 children, many of which have recovered and returned home. Treatment for children is more specific than that of adults, such as in terms of nutrition and medication.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, hospitals in the city have admitted nearly 3,000 children under 16 years old with Covid-19 as of September 6. Children with no symptoms or mild symptoms may be instructed to isolate at home if the families meet the prescribed conditions.
Children who are not eligible for home isolation will be transferred to the field hospital to collect Covid-19 treatment, No. 11 field hospital to treat Covid-19. Children with severe progression will be transferred to City Children's Hospital or Children's Hospital 2 for further intensive treatment.
Nguyen Minh Tien, Deputy Director of the City Children's Hospital, complications in children with Covid-19 are not as severe as that in elderly or adults with underlying medical conditions, although health care workers should pay attention to obese children.
In fact, many children were hospitalized with mild illness, then their conditions worsened due to overweight or multi-system inflammatory syndrome. While the development of the epidemic has been complicated, an increase in Covid-19 infection cases has led to a surge in the Covid-19 children, accounting for 10 percent- 5 percent of the total number of cases in the districts.
Therefore, when children have signs of fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, parents should think about the Covid-19 to rush their children to pediatric hospitals for examination and tests; medical workers will provide appropriate treatment. Doctors also noticed parents to provide good diets to their Covid-19 children to help children improve resistance which can shorten hospital stay.
Doctor Mai Quang Huynh Mai, Deputy Head of the Department of Nutrition at Children's Hospital 2, said that Covid-19 children should have an appropriate diet in terms of their age with a focus on vitamins and minerals. Pediatric patients are mainly treated symptomatically.
Medical workers will provide treatment for serious infection cases who should have their own special nutrition. Children infected with common viruses in general, and with Covid-19 in particular, must also provide enough nutrients to fight diseases. The weather is hot right now; hence parents should provide enough water to let them drink orange juice, lemon juice, boiled water in addition to vegetables and fruits.
In the short term, it is not possible to vaccinate children against Covid-19 because the country is short of vaccines; however, it is necessary to inoculate children with vaccines because children with Covid-19 could be capable of spreading the infection.
