Chandni Sikand’s daughter Parissa was hospitalised for Covid-19

Timely intervention proved to be our ally but, looking back, we could have acted earlier. We waited almost 48 hours after she developed a fever. In fact, on any other day, the fact that she wasn’t able to move would have rung alarm bells. However, we were given to believe that Covid-19 doesn’t affect children and that led us to underestimate the gravity of the situation. I’ve also realised that since we are learning more about the virus every day, there are no defined rules. Parissa not only had myalgia but her eyes had turned red. As parents, we must watch carefully for any unusual symptoms. Even our doctor was caught off-guard as muscle pain typically manifests a few weeks after recovery. Since the IVIG therapy is quite expensive and requires immediate hospitalisation, we have also started a fundraiser to sponsor treatments for affected children from needy families.  
Chandni Sikand, 42, entrepreneur

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Here’s what the experts say
>> With the second wave, we have observed a more infectious mutant strain that children are especially susceptible to, says Dr Amin Kaba, a consultant paediatrician at Masina Hospital. He adds that children often act as super-spreaders since most of them recover in two to four days’ time and with mild symptoms such as a fever, loose motions, cough and cold. “They then carry the virus to their grandparents, for whom it may be fatal. It is therefore extremely important for children to be tested if they exhibit symptoms for more than 72 hours,” he says.

>> Dr Prashant Moralwar, a consultant paediatrician at Motherhood Hospital in Kharghar, adds that Covid-19 symptoms for the paediatric age group include fever, cold, cough, severe leg pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, and/or a loss of smell and loss of taste: “If your child has any of these symptoms and there is a history of Covid-19 in the family, or a history of travel to an area where people have tested positive, make sure the child is tested.”

>> Regularly monitor the child’s temperature, pulse, urine output, respiratory rate and SpO2 levels at home, says Dr Moralwar. “If the SpO2 level drops below 92, or if the child has persistent fever (even a mild fever) for four to five days, these should be considered as red flags,” he shares. Although children seem to recover faster, they become non-infectious after 10 days. Fourteen days is the recommended quarantine period.

>> MIS-C is an abnormal response, in which the body attacks itself. If your child has red eyes, a red tongue, swelling in the hands and legs, breathlessness or rashes, contact a doctor.

(From left) Dr Prashant Moralwar; Dr Amin Kaba

Insist on a test, regardless of your child’s age
My 62-year-old father-in-law developed symptoms first — he felt feverish, weak and drowsy. He had attended a funeral a few days before and so, he wanted to get tested. I sent my six-year-old son Kiyansh away to my mother’s place.  My father-in-law’s report was positive. All of us got tested but, after three days, Kiyansh developed a fever while he was with my mother. My mother took him to his paediatrician, who suggested that we test him since his grandfather had recently tested positive. However, the technicians at the lab were quite reluctant given his age. They told us that he doesn’t need a test and even if he does take a test, the results will be negative. Upon our insistence, someone finally came home to collect his sample. It took four days for us to receive his reports. His Ct value was 14, which meant that his infectivity was very high. The doctor asked to see him immediately. We were advised to monitor his oxygen every hour for two to three days, to observe fluctuations. On the first day, the fluctuation was very high. The only symptoms he had were a 100.5 degrees F fever, a headache and body pain. With the doctor’s advice, we waited for 12 days before getting his blood tests done again. Fortunately, the results were normal and he made a quick recovery with oral medication.

Ankita Doshi

Living in a joint family, isolation proved to be a challenge. There were a few empty flats on our floor, which we opened up. I quarantined with my son and, after a few days, I also tested positive. Eventually, our entire family tested positive and our recovery periods were not aligned — it took us almost a month to recover entirely. The biggest challenge was keeping Kiyansh entertained during isolation. Our doctor had advised us to not inform him that he had tested positive to avoid scaring him. Post his recovery, I have continued his dose of multivitamins. We plan to continue social distancing and wearing masks even after the restrictions are lifted. At first, we were not as strict with our son as we were under the impression that children are not susceptible to the virus.
Ankita Doshi, 35, homemaker 

With inputs from Gayathri Chandran