Sharp increase in post-Covid syndrome among children: Medical specialist

A noticeable increase in the cases of post-Covid syndrome called “Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in children’ were reported among children during the last couple of weeks, a medical specialist said today.

Consultant in charge of the Intensive Care Unit of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) Pediatrician Dr. Nalin Kithulwatta said six children were receiving treatment at the ICU of the LRH at present while a total of 78 such children have been kept under ICU care at the LRH so far.

“Some 150 children have been admitted to the LRH with Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome so far,” he said.

He said two such children who were under ICU care had succumbed to the disease during the last five days.

Dr. Kithulwatta said children, who were infected with Covid-19, could be infected with this Multi-system inflammatory syndrome two to six weeks after recovering from Covid.

He said if children develop symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, neck pain, feeling exhaustion, vomiting, diarrhoea and bloodshot eye should be immediately admitted to a Hospital. 

He said it was important to get the children vaccinated with a recommended vaccine at the earliest opportunity to protect them from this new syndrome.(Ajith Siriwardana)

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