Agence France-Presse reported that the number of children diagnosed with COVID-19 and severe illness in France has surged. But among children, professionals say, bronchiolitis and flu are more worrisome than the coronavirus. Many children are co-infected with other viruses, and it is difficult to determine which virus is the main cause of symptoms.
A record number of children were hospitalized
According to the latest official data, 552 children under the age of 10 are currently hospitalized in France for confirmed COVID-19, the highest record since the outbreak began, and 91 of them are in intensive care. In contrast, only 6 CHILDREN with COVID-19 were in intensive care three months ago.
Epidemiologist Vittoria Colizza noted last week that hospitalizations for children under the age of 10 have increased considerably compared to previous waves. This is due to two reasons: the contagiousness of the Omiljung variant has led to a general increase in the number of infections among all groups of people, and the second is because of the "very low" vaccination rates of young children to date. According to the latest official statistics, only 3% of children aged 5-11 in France are currently vaccinated against COVID-19.
The number of children requiring hospitalization is relatively small compared to the number of children. Yves Gillet, director of the pediatric emergency room at the Bron Town Maternal and Child Health Hospital (HFME) near Lyon, concludes: "Because the number of children is small, minor changes can affect the statistical results. ”
Mainly involving infants and young children
As with adults, there has been an increase in the rate of general hospitalizations for minors aged 0-17 years and in intensive care since December 2021. According to the French Public Health Agency, the increase mainly involved infants under 1 year of age.
According to the Paris Public Hospitals Group (AP-HP), 190 children are currently hospitalized in the Greater Paris area. Fourteen children were hospitalized "due to or complicated COVID-19 symptoms" at the Timone Hospital in Marseille. Fabrice Michel, director of the Department of Pediatric Anesthesia and Critical Care at the Maasai Public Hospital, said: "Since the start of the school year in January, there has been a very large increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in children, but overall it is still very low. ”
Michelle also said: "Currently 2 to 4 children are hospitalized in intensive care every day ... In general, they only need a few days to recover. He added: "Like adults, children have breathing problems, but (compared to COVID-19) we are more worried about bronchiolitis and influenza." ”
Bronchiolitis remains the main cause of severe illness
At present, the relevant institutions have not made a differential statistics on the hospitalization of Aumecreon and other infections. Health authorities stress that cases of respiratory syncytial virus (which causes bronchiolitis) and COVID-19 "co-infection" "may be difficult to attribute their serious consequences to one virus or another". Especially because infantile bronchiolitis is a common cause of intensive care.
Last weekend, 12 children were hospitalized at the Bron Town Maternal and Child Health Hospital "because of or co-infection" with the coronavirus. Of the 5 people in the intensive care unit, 2 were co-infected, and Ren Lei said: "It is difficult to know which virus caused the two children to be severely ill."
The University Hospital (CHU) of Beauvais in the Oise department noted a slight increase in the number of infected and hospitalized COVID-19 children compared to previous waves, with an average of 1-2 children visiting the paediatric department every day.
The hospital said the children had "a short hospital stay and mild respiratory symptoms" and could not determine whether the symptoms were fully related to the coronavirus.
The Aomi Kerong influence has yet to be released
As a result, the Public Health Agency said: "The current qualitative analysis of pediatric cases is difficult to determine the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic in the child population". But the agency noted that since the beginning of December, there has been an upward trend in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PIMS) associated with the new crown virus.
PIMS usually appears a month after infection with the new coronavirus, which initially manifests as stomach pain, rash, and fever, but may develop into life-threatening heart damage that requires prompt hospitalization. The cases currently observed in France are "essentially secondary to Delta variant infection".
According to the French Public Health Agency, it is too early to predict the impact of Aumechjong.
(Editor: Summer Rain)