Doctors in Bengaluru have found that COVID-19 sometimes develop certain symptoms approximately a month after the children recover from the infection. This is another discovery about the mode in which COVID-19 is affecting children.

On Tuesday, it took the doctors by surprise that a 9-year-old child was brought to Aster CMI Hospital with multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS), almost 45 days after being recovered from COVID-19. 

Dr Srikanta J T, Paediatric pulmonology consultant, Aster Hospital, said that they are seeing children with MIS, toxic shock syndrome or atypical Kawasaki Disease, after 30-45 days getting recovered from COVID-19. MIS is an intense inflammatory reaction to the coronavirus. Though, they still don’t know the reason for the symptoms to appear 30-45 after being recovered from COVID-19.

Doctors at Columbia Asia Referral Hospital in Yeshwantpur also came across a 12-year-old boy with severe abdominal pain, high inflammatory markers, high fever, chest pain along with cardiac changes. Doctors alleged the symptoms were correlated to a COVID-19 infection even though like many other children, the boy did not show any symptoms caused by coronavirus. An RT-PCR test confirmed their doubts and doctors then started him on steroids and immunoglobulins. After a week he recovered.

Dr Supraja Chandrashekhar, paediatric intensivist consultant, Columbia Asia said that parents must watch for the warning signs such as high fever, red eyes and lips, flushed faces, swollen hands and feet, stomach issues, vomiting, abdominal pain or breathing difficulty. Children might go into a state of shock that can lead to low blood pressure, cold hands and feet and problems in blood circulation.

Dr Jagdish Chinnappa, paediatric consultant, Manipal Hospitals said that the number of cases everywhere is increasing and warrants attentiveness. Though the post-recovery cases are rare in children, the number of cases can increase if children go outdoors and interact with other people. Few children, especially adolescents, might develop respiratory problems and fatigue even after recovery. While MIS is seen in a small percentage of children but it can affect several parts of the body such as the heart and lungs.

Source: The New Indian Express