Pediatrician Liu Jing reminded that minors suffering from mental illness are more terrifying than contracting the Omicron variant virus and called on parents to treat the new crown virus correctly. (File photo of World Journal)

(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, January 16, 2022) The rapid spread of the Omicron variant virus has led to a surge in the infection rate of minors; in this regard, Liu Jing, an attending physician at the Children's Emergency Department in Flushing, New York, said on the 15th that most of the infected children who went to the hospital for treatment had symptoms of respiratory infection, " It's like having a bad cold." Most of the newborns sent to the intensive care unit for treatment are called on parents to face the virus rationally. She said, “If the Children are diagnosed with the virus, they can first treat the symptoms at home.”  

Liu Jing said that since December last year, the epidemic index has soared. Compared with the same period last year, the treatment rate and hospitalization rate of children this year are higher than last year. She said that some parents immediately sent their children to the emergency department of the hospital when they found that their children had symptoms of the Omicron variant virus such as fever. In-room treatment led to a surge in the number of children infected with the virus in her hospital. "From newborns to high school students, parents are not only worried about their children's infection, but also the sequelae of the epidemic."

However, Liu Jing said that most infected children only show symptoms of respiratory tract infection, such as fever, runny nose, and cough. After the patient waits for three to four hours in the emergency room, the doctor usually asks the patient to go home for observation. Some antipyretics are actually of little significance." She added that the hospital will only admit some newborns with symptoms such as shortness of breath after being infected with the virus.

Regarding the admission of newborns to hospital, Liu Jing said that children within two months of age have not been vaccinated and have poor resistance. If they have a fever, regardless of whether they are infected with the new coronavirus, the patient will be asked to be admitted to the hospital, and the source of infection of the baby will be investigated. Meningitis is more serious than Covid-19."

Regarding the increase in the hospitalization rate of COVID 19 patients, Liu Jing said that according to the statistics of Cornell University School of Medicine, among the 30% to 40% of the infected patients in the hospital's intensive care unit, only 4% of the patients were seriously hospitalized due to the infection, and the rest patient was admitted to the hospital for other diseases, and the virus was discovered during routine screening, so there is no need for the public to increase panic.

Liu Jing said that current data shows that vaccination against the COVID 19 can reduce the severity and mortality of the infection. She recommends that minors over five years old and their parents actively get vaccinated; she added that children over two years old can wear Surgical mask or N95 mask, wash hands frequently to avoid catching the virus.

If a minor shows symptoms of the COVID 19, Liu Jing said that the patient can use a home test kit to self-test, and if the result is positive, they should be isolated immediately; she added that if the infected child has no underlying disease, parents can use antipyretics and cough medicines, etc. For symptomatic treatment, let the child ensure a good rest and relieve symptoms. "There is no need to go to the emergency room, wait for more than three or four hours, and the doctor just prescribes antipyretics."

Liu Jing also reminded that after the outbreak of the epidemic, many parents were worried about their children being infected and were reluctant to send their children to school, which caused some children to suffer from psychological problems. She said that minors suffering from mental illnesses were more terrifying than contracting the COVID 19 and called on parents to keep sending their healthy children to school normally and fight the epidemic scientifically. "Mental diseases are difficult to treat in a short time with drugs."

(Source: World Journal)