Increase in child hospitalizations due to covid

An increase in the number of children with COVID admitted to Makarios Hospital has been recorded, according to the head of the Pediatric Clinic, Dr. Avraam Elia, who told CNA this is due to the lifting of all restrictive measures and the Omicron BA5 subvariant.

He said that in the last few days the number of children admitted doubled, ranging at first between two and three, and now ranging from around six to seven daily. Most are under five and some are infants. The children present symptoms of high fever, with numbers a lot higher than other variants and lasting three to four days.

Children also complain of feeling unwell, not wanting to eat, or having gastrointestinal disorders and many have to be admitted to take intravenous hydration and supportive treatment.

Currently, there are six children in hospital with COVID. Three were released on Tuesday and two were admitted. Two children are under a year old, Dr. Elia said.

Asked about their condition, Dr. Elia remarked that the children's condition is not serious, they are out of danger and without lower respiratory infection. Until now, he noted, no lower respiratory infections, pneumonia, or bronchitis have been reported.

Dr. Elia, however, was concerned about an increase in cases of Minsk syndrome, a coronavirus complication observed a few weeks after the onset of Covid symptoms.

“It is something that we are monitoring. If we observe children, who are indicative of Minsk's syndrome, such as children with a high fever that persists beyond three days, children who are unwell, have fatigue, rash, gastrointestinal disorders, the appropriate diagnosis and treatment must be made," he added.

Asked about the increase in the number of children admitted with COVID, Dr. Elia said it was due to the lifting of all restrictive health measures, including the abolishing of masks in indoor areas. This resulted in a surge of cases, something was also observed in other European countries. 

He also added that the Omicron BA5 subvariant is highly transmissible contributing to a large number of cases.