"Covid19 or coronavirus disease 19 refers to the disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 ( SARS COVID 2 ) . Fortunately almost 60 to 70% of kids do not have severe symptoms. They have mild symptoms and sometimes they are asymptomatic. Most of the symptoms of covid mimic other respiratory illness like influenza. In children infected with covid 19. The most common symptoms seen are fever, cough, cold, sore throat, body pain and in the 2nd wave we are seeing vomiting, loose stools and severe abdominal pain. In a minority of children there are other symptoms like red eyes, skin rashes, loss of taste and smell. In newborns and neonates and in infants the babies may present with cough that may evolve to breathing difficulties and also lead to reduced urine output"

"If there is a close contact with or without symptoms. So what is a close contact? Close contact is a person who is positive for covid 19 infection and within 6 weeks we have and encounter. So children with or without symptoms we have to test for covid19"

Fortunately most children with covid 19 infection in the 2nd wave have recovered completely which is good news. What we should remember is that covid 19 should be less virulent and less severe in children and when we compare other infections it is not known to be more severe,. Almost 60 to 70% children do not presents with severe symptoms and it is attributed to teh absence of receptors in the lungs and in the nose of children which are called as the ACE 2 receptors which are the binding receptors in the lungs and also attributed to the particular type of immunity in children called as innate immunity. Also 30% kids have moderate symptoms. Fortunately 2 to 6 % kids, that is 2 to 6 kids per 100 kids develop severe manifestations.

"MISC refers to Multi System Inflammatory Syndrome in children. This is a remote complication of COVID 19 infection in children. That is typically seen 4 to 6 weeks after COVID 19 infection in children. This is characterised by a group of systems which can make the child extremely sick. Here the child may develop multisystem involvement of the body that includes the involvement of the brain, heart, blood vessels, clotting system and the kidneys. So the children may get sick. Typically what is seen is that the RTPCR test is negative but the COVID antibody test is positive in these children. This can be detected early if the parents are aware of the typical symptoms associated with MISC. In this case there might have been a COVID history in the family, the child may or may not have been symptomatic and then after 4 -7 weeks child may have presented new onset fever which may be high fever which may be persistent and also other symptoms like recurring vomiting, loose stools, extensive rashes all over the body and swelling and redness in hands. Sometimes a pale grey colour or bluish discolouration of skin and reduced urine output sometimes involving rashes and eye redness. Whenever there is a doubt of child getting sick it is advised to get advise of paediatrician. This is because it is seen if early medical intervention is given in MISC it has better outcomes. Treatment may include steroids and immune suppressing drugs and vital stabilisation"

"Those children who have mild to moderate covid infection can be managed conservatively without going to hospital provided we closely manage the hydration and manage the urine output well. Also we need to manage persistent infection like recurrent fevers persist infection and loose stools, reduced urine outputs. Also reduced are CT scans required n children? the CT scans are not required in vast majority of children with covid 19 infection. CT scan exposes children to unnecessary radiation. So it is recommended we seek the pediatricians advice and as per the pediatricians advice in selected cases only imaging and tests may be required"

"As clearly outlined by the Indian academy of pediatrics guidelines for the 3rd wave, there is clearly no reasons to panic. As we know in the 2nd wave family clustering was one of the common scenario that we were commonly seeing wherein the adults used to bring the infection and subsequently the whole family was infected. So it makes logical sense that the immunization of adults is the most important measure to protect your child who is at home it is also important to understand that your child if infected may transmit the infection in the household contacts and so getting all the seniors vaccinated non priority basis is important. Children above 2 to 5 years can be trained to wear the mask properly and the adults should be the role models for the kids with respect to hand hygiene, social distancing norms and mask etiquettes"