Hyderabad: In an alarming development, two infants have tested positive for the deadly Coronavirus at the government run Niloufer hospital in Telangana capital Hyderabad with the hospital administration deciding to conduct mass testing of the children admitted at the hospital, sources said. It is learnt that the 2-month-old girl and a 14-month-old boy tested positive for COVID-19 at the Niloufer Hospital on Thursday.
Hospital sources said that the boy is in a stable condition while as the girl has been placed on High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) therapy. The two children were admitted to the hospital with pneumonia symptoms including cough and breathing problems. They tested positive for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure and tested positive for the deadly virus, sources said.
An official said that doctors at the Niloufer Hospital have decided to conduct corona tests for all children admitted with pneumonia and other respiratory diseases as a precautionary measure so that such children are put in quarantine in a bid to contain the highly contagious disease. It is learnt that presently, 83 children with pneumonia are being treated at the government-run Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad all of whom will be tested for Coronavirus as a precautionary measure.
Experts have said that the rising cases of pneumonia are being reported among children and elderly people due to the prevailing cold weather conditions in the state especially Greater Hyderabad and other areas where temperatures are recorded less than 10 degrees Celsius. Children under one year are mostly vulnerable to the disease.
Viral pneumonia subsides within 3-4 weeks even as doctors have advised caution to prevent the disease. Pneumonia usually affects children below two years of age, elderly people above 65 years of age, and those hospitalized and on ventilators in ICU for a long period, said Niloufer Hospital Superintendent Dr. Usharani.
''Given the increasing number of cases of pneumonia along with corona, appropriate precautions should be taken. Although there is no danger with the latest coronavirus variant JN.1, children, elderly people and those suffering from chronic diseases should be careful. People suffering from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart diseases, chronic lung diseases, smokers, HIV, cancer sufferers, and organ transplant recipients are advised to be cautious. If you have severe fever, fatigue, cough, or difficulty breathing, you should consult a doctor immediately'', she advised.
Symptoms of pneumonia include cough with sputum, fever with chills and shivering, pain in the chest, difficulty in breathing, general fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
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