Several SA companies have pledged their support for the mandatory vaccine policy as from 2022.
‘More children admitted with COVID-19’ says Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital
This one is alarming. The Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital is worried. Children under 12 have been admitted for COVID-19 symptoms.
Several SA companies have pledged their support for the mandatory vaccine policy as from 2022.
More children are COVID-19 patients. This has been confirmed by the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital on Saturday as a fourth wave continues to spike in Gauteng.
CHILDREN WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
According to the report, the number of children with COVID-19 patients is growing. This has followed after the outbreak of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in South Africa over the past month.
The trend has been picked up Johannesburg’s Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital.
The hospital’s head of Intensive Care Unit, Dr Rudo Mathivha, says the situation is frightening for the medical facility because it is not quite a children’s medical centre.
“This situation is hugely concerning, it is not something we observed in the first, second and third wave, “ she told SABC News.
“Children used to get COVID infection in the past, they would just treat it like any childhood viral illness. It would not send them to hospitals in big numbers.”
Mathivha confirmed that a 15-year-old was killed by COVID-19 while another 17-year-old is fighting for their life with coronavirus-related pneumonia.
“What really broke my heart is a 15-year-old who had no health battle history. After just two days of fever symptoms came in the hospital. The child tested positive for COVID-19 before literally deteriorating in front of our eyes.
“None of our supportive procedures were able to help her.”
BIGGEST REAL CONCERNS
The Chris Hani Baragwanath ICU head said what makes this a colossal crisis is the fact that children do not often catch mass sickness in a short space of time.
“We have taken in children with moderate to severe symptoms, needing supplemental oxygen, supportive therapy and needing to stay in hospital for a number of days.
“If we are going to get children, toddlers coming in large numbers with significant disease symptoms, this is going to be a major problem for us.
“Our hospital is not housed to take in children. Generally, children to not get sick in multitudes. We will not be able to accommodate them, and I’m not saying this to make people panic,” says Mathivha.
The medical specialist pleaded with the public to apply all the preventive measures that are used by adults to be applied to children as well.
“Another thing that is bothering me is the many Primary Schools that are closing left, right and center. This has also played a role in the COVID-19 infection of young children.”
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa – ‘We shouldn’t panic over the Omicron variant’
