News Analysis India

Tag: children

  • Third Covid wave could be smaller than the first wave, says ICMR study

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The mutations in coronavirus, waning population immunity or unrestricted mixing of people could drive a third nationwide Covid-19 wave in India, but it is unlikely to be as severe as the second wave, a new study by ICMR researchers has said.

    The scientific paper, jointly prepared by ICMR and Imperial College, London, study by Indian and UK researchers has indicated that while the timing and pattern of the third wave will depend on such factors, the size of the surge could remain either midway between the first two waves or be smaller than even the first wave.

    ICMR’s director general Balram Bhargava and chief scientist Samiran Panda are co-authors of the study.

    The paper published in the ICMR’s Indian Journal of Medical Research said that immune-mediated mechanisms- waning immunity or viral evolution for immune escape- are unlikely to drive a severe third wave if acting on their own, unless such mechanisms lead to a complete loss of protection among those previously exposed.

    ALSO READ: 48 Delta Plus Covid variant cases detected in India; Maharashtra records highest: Government

    Likewise, a new, more transmissible variant would have to exceed a high threshold of reproductive factor—rate at which an infected individual infects other—should need to be higher than 4.5 to cause a third wave on its own.

    However, plausible mechanisms for a third wave include a new variant that is more transmissible and at the same time capable of escaping prior immunity and lockdowns that are highly effective in limiting transmission and subsequently released.

    In both cases, any third wave seems unlikely to be as severe as the second wave, noted the researchers.

    The study titled “Plausibility of a third wave of Covid-19 in India: A mathematical modelling-based analysis” also said that the emergence of a third wave could be substantially mitigated by the expansion of vaccination.

    If the rollout of vaccine is in such a way so as to cover 40 per cent of the population with two doses over a period of three months following the end of the second wave, symptomatic cases could be reduced by around 55 %, the scientists said.

  • India’s first Covid vaccine for children may get nod soon

    Express News Service
    BELAGAVI: India’s first Covid-19 vaccine for children between the age group of 12 and 18, ZyCoV-D, has been sent by pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila for emergency use authorisation to the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) after its clinical trials ended successfully in the country.

    The much-awaited vaccination of children is expected to begin once ZyCoV-D gets the DCGI nod in the next eight to ten days. Although the actual trials end in February 2022, as per guidelines, sources said, vaccination of children can be launched if DGCI gives an emergency approval midway. Clinical trials began in February this year. Sources said, emergency approval to vaccinate both children and adults has been sought.

    Dr Amit Bhate, who headed the clinical trials of ZyCoV-D at Jeevan Rekha Hospital, Belagavi — which is one of the 20 centres where trials were held— said, “It is a three-dose vaccine and children and adults will have to take the second dose 28 days after the first dose and the third dose on the 56th day.’’ In each of the 20 centres, including Jeevan Rekha, 20 children between the age group of 12 and 18 have undergone clinical trials. 

  • Mahatari Dular Yojana gave relief to the families suffering from the bite of Corona: the concern of children’s education went away

    The Mahtari Dular Yojana, started in Chhattisgarh on the initiative of Bhupesh Baghel, has given relief to many such families suffering from the bite of Corona, in which parents have died due to Kovid-19. In these families, the worries about the further education of the children and their future have gone away. Such a family also includes the family of Mrs. Shabnam and Kumari Muskan of Surajpur district. Mrs. Shabnam’s husband Mr. Mukim Khan has died of COVID-19 infection. With the help of the district administration, their three children have got the benefit of the Mahtari Dular Yojana. Similarly, the father of Kumari Muskan Prajapati, a class 11 student of Government Higher Secondary School, Vishrampur, resident of Rampur in Surajpur district, also died on May 29 due to corona infection. They have also been given the benefit of Mahtari Dular Yojana, which will enable them to complete their further studies.
    Smt. Shabnam thanked Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at the inauguration and Bhoomi Pujan program of Surajpur district and said that the Mahtari Dular Yojna has removed the worries of her children’s education. After the death of her husband, she was very worried about the education of the children, but the free education scheme of the Chhattisgarh government has made her worry free. Along with this, with the help of the district administration, an amount of one lakh rupees has also been provided to them under the insurance scheme of the Labor Department, which has helped them a lot. Similarly, Kumari Muskan told that after the death of her father, she was worried about her further studies. Meanwhile, the officials of the Education Department contacted him and told him about paying his fees from the Mahtari Dular Yojana and also told that he would also be given a scholarship of one thousand rupees every month. With this, they can easily do further studies. For this, Kumari Muskan expressed her gratitude to the Chhattisgarh government and Chief Minister Mr. Baghel.

  • Recruitment for clinical trial of Covaxin in 6-12 age group to start at AIIMS from June 15

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The recruitment for the clinical trial of the country’s first indigenously-developed COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin at the AIIMS here from Tuesday.

    This will be followed by the clinical trial of children in the age-group of 2-6 years.

    The enrolment of children volunteers aged 12-18 years at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been completed and they have been given the first dose of Covaxin.

    “The recruitment process for the clinical trial of Covaxin among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin from Tuesday,” Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at the AIIMS, told PTI.

    The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had granted permission for conducting the phase 2/3 clinical trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin among children aged two to 18 years on May 12.

    The trial is to be conducted in three parts — 175 volunteers each in the groups aged 12-18, 6-12 and 2-6 years.

    In the trial, the vaccine will be given by the intramuscular route in two doses on day 0 and day 28.

    Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is being used in adults in the country’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive.

    The clinical trials will evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the vaccine in children.

    The government recently cautioned that even though COVID-19 has not taken a serious shape among children till now, its impact can increase among them if there is a change in the virus behaviour or epidemiology dynamics and said preparations are being strengthened to deal with any such situation.

    A national expert group has been formed to review COVID-19 cases in children and approach the pandemic in a renewed way to strengthen the country’s preparedness, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul had told a press conference.

    The group has examined signs that were not available four-five months before, he had said.

  • No substantial evidence to suggest children will be more affected in Covid third wave: Report

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: There appears to be no substantial evidence to suggest that children will be more affected or have greater illness severity due to COVID-19 in the anticipated third wave, according to a new report.

    The Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force prepared the report after convening an experts group comprising leading paediatricians from the country to examine the issue of ‘paediatric COVID-19′ in India.

    It said the infection’s symptomatology in children in India appears to be globally comparable.

    “Most children with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, and amongst those symptomatic mild infections are predominant. Most children have fever with respiratory symptoms, and often present with gastrointestinal symptoms (such as diarrhea, vomiting, pain in abdomen) and atypical manifestation compared to adults. The proportion of symptomatic children increases as age increases as does the severity in such age groups,” the report stated.

    In the absence of a national database on clinical presentation and outcomes of infected children during the two surges noted thus far, the data of approximately 2,600 hospitalised children, below the age of 10 years (excluding neonates), from 10 hospitals (both public and private), in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi-NCR region, was collected and analysed.

    ALSO READ: Children falling seriously ill in third Covid wave unlikely, say Experts

    According to the data, mortality rates amongst these surveyed hospitalised COVID-19 positive children below the age of 10 years was 2.4 per cent and about 40 per cent of the children who died had comorbidities.

    “Nine per cent of all hospitalised COVID-19 positive children presented with severe illness, under 10 years of age. The above observations were similar during the two surges of COVID-19 infections India has experienced,” the Lancet document said.

    Three doctors from AIIMS, namely Sheffali Gulati, Sushil K Kabra and Rakesh Lodha, contributed to the study.

    Kabra said less than 5 per cent children will require hospital admission in COVID-19 and out of them the mortality is of 2 per cent.

    “Say out of 1 lakh, 500 children get hospitalised and 2 per cent of deaths are reported among them. So in one lakh, mortality of just one or two children is seen. In children, as such the disease is less severe.

    Very low proportion requires hospitalisation and very small proportion of mortality is reported. The mortality is also contributed by underlying diseases in the form of comorbidities like diabetes, c ancer, anemia or severe malnutrition. In normal children, mortality is extremely rare,” he told PTI.

    The data was also evaluated separately for the time periods corresponding to the two surges, March 2020-December 2020 and January 2021-April 2021.

    Comparable observations were recorded in a multicentric study which examined 402 children hospitalised in Indian hospitals, of which 90 per cent were asymptomatic to mildly symptomatic, and of 318 cases wherein 44 per cent had underlying co-morbidities, it said.

    ALSO READ: Experts flag drastic drop of immunisation of kids during Covid second wave

    “Based on the data available, there appears to be no substantial evidence to suggest that children would be more affected or would have greater illness severity due to COVID-19 infection in the anticipated third wave. Studies also indicate that children have milder disease, better prognosis, and low mortality in comparison to adults,” it said.

    On multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children, the report said, risk factors for this condition include obesity, asthma, compromised breathing, developmental disorders, cardiac disease, cancers or immunocompromised children as well as those who have undergone surgeries.

    Although figures indicate low mortality rates from acute COVID-19 in older teens, it appears to be higher in those who are obese.

    Most published data suggest mild to moderate predisposition in most cases and low mortality linked with MIS-C.

    “Preliminary review of cases within representative facilities further corroborates the low case severity and low overall mortality rates in children.

    That said, the health system needs to gear up for a paediatric case load with adequate infrastructure, earmarked facilities at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care, oxygen availability, appropriate equipment, trained manpower, drugs and injectables among others, all of which are specific to children,” the report said.

    ALSO WATCH | Why youngsters are more vulnerable in second Covid-19 wave ?​

    The national-level clinical protocols must be adhered to at all levels of facilities and all providers adequately trained, similar to adult protocols.

    “The health system must maintain its routine programs like immunisation and nutrition and identify high risk patients in advance for better management.

    Vaccines will form an important part of the preventive strategy for adults and also eventually for children and this must be evaluated and implemented expeditiously.

    “Behaviour change communication and media management must be prioritised to help alleviate panic and anxiety. Schools must be reopened cautiously in person, with options for online access as needed, but with a firm resolve to bring normalcy back as quickly as possible in children’s lives,” the report added.

  • Children will be healthy under the scheme, on June 14, the children will be given the golden point Prashan

    To increase immunity in children, under the scheme “Kids stay healthy”, Swarna Bindu Prashan Sanskar will be performed under Ayurvedic Immunization Program at Patanjali Chikitsalaya Niharika on 14th June. In this, children from 0 to 18 years will be vaccinated with Ayurveda method by giving Swarna Bindu Prashan Drops. Along with doing free medical examination of the health of the children, for the physical and mental development of the children, the children and their parents are given detailed information about the diet, useful for them according to the age of the children, along with the useful yoga pranayama for them. Free training will be given.

  • Flu shots for children can cut Covid rush at hospitals: Experts

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI /BENGALURU /HYDERABAD: Amid concerns that children, who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus, might be the biggest casualty in the next pandemic wave, the Centre on Tuesday said it will soon issue guidelines for Covid-19 management in kids and prepare hospital infrastructure to face any influx of child patients. 

    However, Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog member (health) and chairman of national Covid-19 task force, on Tuesday said that so far, only 2-3% of Covid-infected kids have required hospital care. Dr Paul, who himself is a paediatrician, averred that available scientific evidence suggests children are less susceptible to severe disease. 

    He said the government is nevertheless prepared for any exigency. “We will strengthen our facilities as required and do an audit of what is required and what might be required in a worst-case scenario,” he said. According to public health expert Chandrakant Lahariya, serosurveys have shown prevalence of infection was similar across all age groups. “So, a large number of kids may have been affected already,” he said. But not many kids became seriously ill. This is because unlike adults, children have smaller number of ACE 2 receptors, which the coronavirus uses to enter human cells, he added. 

    While some doctors have advocated flu shots for kids to guard against Covid, a senior paediatrician in AIIMS, Delhi said it may not be suitable for India. “The flu shots are prepared for influenza virus strains prevalent in Europe,” he said.

    Expressing similar views, Dr Jagadish Chinappa, a consultant child specialist at Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru, said vaccinating kids with flu shots will not protect them from the risk of Covid-19 infection. However, it will help avoid the confusion if the cough, cold and fever in children are due to Covid-19 or influenza.

    “The Indian Paediatric Society has recommended vaccinating children to only reduce the need for Covid testing, decrease the burden on the healthcare system and protect children from influenza and not because the flu shot will prevent Covid-19. They are two different vaccines,” he added.

    Study on alternatives not conclusive

    There are also studies published on vaccinating children with polio vaccines, but that is not proven on a mass scale. “The country needs to wait for the specific vaccine and, when there are no proper studies and enough data to vaccinate children with polio drops, etc, it is better all such things are avoided,” Dr Jagadish Chinappa of Manipal Hospitals noted.

    Dr Asha Benakappa, paediatrics head at Chandramma Sagar Hospital and Research Centre, Bengaluru, said, “Both are different viruses with different receptors. We can only say the immune system will be activated, as children have missed their routine vaccination and annual viral infections, because of respiratory hygiene and closed schools. This will boost the immune system.”

    “It is like training the warriors inside the body with some skills to fight the virus, if not specifically Covid-19,” said Dr Dinesh Kumar Chrila, director of intensive care services at Rainbow Hospitals, Hyderabad. According to him, there are two scientific reasons why vaccinating children under 10 with flu shots is a good idea because it would prevent co-infections if affected with Covid-19 and reduce severity. Also, it will ensure there is no misdiagnosis.

    Rising child Covid patient count in Maharashtra adds to worryMumbai: Covid infection among children is soaring in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, the latest report by the state health department shows. As many as 9,416 positive cases among children below 18 years of age were reported from Ahmednagar.

    In April, 757 positive cases were reported among children below five years, while there were 1,510 cases of infections among the 5-10 year-olds, and 5,340 among 11-18 year-olds. In March, 188 children below the age of five years were infected. This number was higher among the 6-10 years age group at 270, and even higher among the 11-18 years category – 1,173

  • New worry? Uttarakhand see alarming rise in COVID-19 cases among children

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Reeling under raging second wave of COVID-19, Uttarakhand has also registered alarming rise of infection among children. 

    Medical experts have warned that if steps not taken to prevent the spread in children, situation will deteriorate further.

    Dr Partap Rawat, Dehradun based pediatrician commenting on the issue said, “The trend is disturbing and can cause serious troubles. Though 95% children remain asymptomatic but things can get out of hand if this continues.”

    Till April 1, 2021, total 2,134 children between age group of 0-9 years were infected by Covid while total 2,935 got infected between April 2, 2021 to May 14, 2021. 

    The data shared by the state health department also revealed that cases have been registering significant increase every fortnight since the beginning of April 2021. 

    Between April 1-15, 2021 total 264 children in age group of 0-9 years of age got infected while the numbers increased to 1053 in duration of April 16-30. From May 1-14 2021 total 1618 children were reporter to have contracted infection.

    At present, total 21,857 children between age group of 10-19 years have been detected with COVID-19 infection till date according to state health department data. 

    Meanwhile, total active cases in Uttarakhand reached 78,802 on Sunday. The number of active cases came down from 80,000 in comparison with Friday as 5034 people recovered from Covid on Sunday while 4,496 new cases were added. 

    Sunday also marked lowest number of new cases surfacing in one day over last 21 days.

    Anoop Nautiyal, from Social Development for Communities Foundation which has been collating and analysing data in Uttarakhand, said, “Today is a day of hope amid all gloom and doom but then we should not be let our guard down. This is the time to stay vigilant and keep up the fight until this virus disappears.”

  • Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat blames people for not ‘producing’ enough children

    Express News Service
    Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat is back with another headline- this time he blames people for not ‘producing’ enough children. 

    “Now brother, who is to blame for this?? He produced 20 (children) and you produced only two. So he gets a quintal of ration. When there was time you produced only two why not 20? Now, why jealousy?,” said the CM while talking about government schemes of ration distribution in his speech on Sunday on his visit to Ramnagar in Nainital on the occasion of World Forestry Day. 

    He said that the government provided 5kg per person and those with 20 got a quintal (100kgs) of ration during pandemic times. 

    “Every house was provided with 5kgs of ration per unit (person). Those with 10 got 50kgs, those with 20 got a quintal of ration and those with two got 10kgs. People started a ‘store’ out of it and got themselves a buyer. The rice was so good that no one has got such quality in even normal days, leave aside pandemic times. But then they started to get jealous of each other that I got only 10kgs for two and another person got a quintal for 20,” the CM said. 

    Rawat also wrongly blamed the United States of America for 200 years of rule in India. 

    He compared India with the US in increasing number of COVID-19 cases adding that as opposed to other countries, India is doing better in handling the pandemic. 

    “America, who enslaved us for 200 years and ruled the whole world… it is struggling at present,” the CM said.

    He further added that the US is number one in the health sector and yet suffered from more than 50 lakh COVID-19 deaths and the country is heading towards a lockdown.

    Opposition tore in the state government and the Bhartiya Janta Party for the CM’s statement.

    Suryakant Dhasmana, vice-president of Indian National Congress said, “The people of Uttarakhand are not going to forgive the BJP. People gave you crushing majority with 57 MLAs out of 70 and what did you do? You left us with the likes of Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat. People will never forgive you for this.”

    Earlier, last week the CM courted controversy over his ripped jeans remark and how wearing such dress promotes substance abuse. 

    However, he later apologized for the remark. 

  • Covid closure had big learning impact on primary school students: Study

    Express News Service
    BENGALURU: The prolonged closure of schools due to Covid has had a significant negative impact on the learning levels of children. The loss in learning is both in terms of curriculum they would have learnt had the schools remained open and the lessons forgotten from previous years, reveals an extensive study — ‘Loss of Learning during the Pandemic’ — by Azim Premji University.

    The study covered 16,067 primary schoolchildren across five states and found that on an average, 92 per cent of children have lost at least one specific language ability from the previous year across all classes. These abilities include describing a picture or their experiences orally, reading familiar words, reading with comprehension and writing simple sentences based on a picture. The study which was held in 44 districts of Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand revealed that 92 per cent of children in class 2, 89 per cent in class 3, 90 per cent in class 4, 95 per cent in Class 5 and 93 per cent in Class 6 have lost this ability.

    Learning loss in mathsOn an average, 82% of children have lost at least one specific mathematical ability from the previous year across all classes. These abilities include identifying single- and two-digit numbers, performing arithmetic operations, using basic arithmetic operations for solving problems, describing 2D/3D shapes and reading and drawing inferences from data. 67% of children in class 2, 76% in class 3, 85% in class 4, 89% in class 5, and 89% in class 6 have lost at least one specific ability.

    The report emphasises that the extent and nature of learning loss is serious enough to warrant action at all levels. Supplemental support, whether as bridge courses, extended hours, community-based engagements and appropriate curricular materials, will be needed to help children gain the foundational abilities when they return to school.

    The baseline assessment of children’s learning levels (when schools closed in March 2020) was done based on a comprehensive analysis by relevant teachers. ‘End-line’ assessment of the same children’s proficiency in January 2021 was done by administering oral and written tests.