Shivamogga district expert panel on COVID-19 has opined that there is no need to worry about the impact of the third wave of the pandemic on children. Educational institutions could be allowed to conduct classes, the panel said.
Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner R. Selvamani held a meeting with the experts — Dr. Dhananjay Sarji, Dr. Srikant Hegde, Dr. Mallikarjun Koppad, Dr. Patil. Dr. Satish Chandra, Dr. Nagaraj Naik, Dr. Mallappa and Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences Director Dr. Siddappa — in Shivamogga on January 20.
According to the panel, parents need not worry if children are infected. The impact of the infection on children would be mild. They could be isolated at home. However, educational institutes have to follow COVID-19 protocol strictly. Children with symptoms of Covid-19 infection should be sent home and their health should be monitored.
Going by the statistics of infections in Shivamogga, the number of infected people requiring hospitalisation is less. Among infected persons (as on January 19, total active cases was 1,688), only 63 had been hospitalised, and of them only two required oxygen facility. If people with co-morbidities tested positive, they could be admitted to COVID-19 care centres, members of the panel said.
Deputy Commissioner R. Selvamani that impact of the third wave of the Covid-19 infection on people who are vaccinated with two doses is low. They recover during home isolation . As many as 17 people, who were not vaccinated, had been hospitalised. They had complained of severe symptoms. So far, 99% of the eligible persons in the district had taken at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 84% have completed two doses.
The official said the administration had been providing infected persons with medicine kits. Measures had been taken to collect swab samples for COVID-19 test in schools and colleges.
