New Delhi: In the new guidelines issued by the central government regarding coronavirus, it has been strictly forbidden to give remdesivir injection to children and it has also been said that children 5 years of age or less are no longer required to wear masks.
In the guidelines issued by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Union Health Ministry, it has been clearly said that Remdesivir is not to be used on children. There is no need of any kind of test in asymptomatic and mild category children, such as CBC, LFT, KFT, urine routine. These tests are needed only for moderate and severe children.
Mild symptoms include ‘oxygen saturation of 94 percent or more in the room, sore throat, shortness of breath when coughing’. Its treatment is to give paracetamol for 4-6 hours in fever, gargle with warm water for cough. Monitoring chart – Respiratory rate (2-3 times), shortness of breath, fever, BP, SpO2, blue of nails or lips, chest pull 4 times from 8 am to 8 pm.
Family members should be in contact with the children who have gone into isolation. Have a positive conversation. Phone or video call can be used. Moderate category infection (SpO 2: 90-93 percent). There can be a complaint of pneumonia, so it needs to be monitored. To understand the oxygen saturation in children of asymptomatic and mild category infections, a 6-minute walk test can be done at home.
The 6 Minute Walk Test (for children above 12 years of age under the supervision of an elder in the household), is a method of clinical testing to understand cardiopulmonary status. In this, put a pulse oximeter in the finger of the child and ask him to walk in the room continuously for six minutes. Watch the level of oxygen saturation during this. If it falls below 94 percent or there is a 3-5 percent drop in saturation or if the child feels shortness of breath while walking, then hospitalization may come.
On the other hand, if we talk about the use of masks, then children of 5 years or less do not need masks. However, children aged 6 to 11 years can apply masks under the supervision of parents.
Steroids should not be used in asymptomatic and mild children. Steroids should be given only to moderate, severe and critical children admitted in the hospital under strict supervision. It should also be kept in mind that the right dosage at the right time, the steroid should be given only for the right time.
