The Tamil Nadu health department is worried with more children in the age group of 0-12 testing positive for the virus.
A study by the health department shed light that around 1,000 to 1,300 children are testing positive on a daily basis in Tamil Nadu. Dr S. Srinivasan, Nodal officer- Child health, Tamil Nadu state said, "The number of children testing positive is on the rise. When parents test positive, children are also getting infected."
Doctors are of the opinion that more newborns are also testing positive and the percentage of children getting infected due to coronavirus is more during the second wave than in the first.
However, the good news is that while children are getting affected, the disease is not becoming a high risk for the children except for a few cases. Dr Manonmani Arun, Pediatrician at Maduraisaid, "There is, of course, a rise in the number of children including newborn getting infected with the disease but the cases are not turning fatal and this is welcome. The immunity of the children might be the reason for the disease not progressing among them."
She added, "Children with co-morbidities like malignancies, chronic diseases and others having immunity problems have to be protected as these children once infected will have a higher risk of turning fatal and hence all efforts must be made to prevent this."
Doctors are of the opinion that pregnant women who develop symptoms like fever should tell the doctors on their medical condition as even mild infections can have implications for the baby.
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