Paediatric departments of different hospitals across the country are seeing an influx of patients with Covid-19-like symptoms, but doctors have urged not to panic as most of the cases are just seasonal flu.
The pediatric specialists also said Covid-19 guidelines should still be followed in the interest of being cautious and preventing the spread of infections.
They stressed the need for children to maintain healthy diets and stay hydrated, as well as to only take medication that has been prescribed by doctors.
Dr Syed Shafi Ahmed, former director of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital, told Dhaka Tribune that he has been seeing about 50 child patients each day, with about half of them having caught colds or fevers.
He said the four most prevalent diseases among children were the flu, Covid, dengue fever, and, quite rarely, chikungunya.
“Parents come with children that have Covid-19-like symptoms but only a few of them are infected with the coronavirus. Most of them have seasonal flu, which is common around this time of the year,” he told the correspondent.
Mojammel Haque, assistant professor at the pediatric department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital, also said his department has seen a rise in patients with colds and fevers recently.
“We see around 300 to 350 children at the outdoor unit every day. Around 60% of the children are suffering from viral infections but most of the children have the flu, not Covid,” he said.
He added that most of the patients were aged between six months and eight years old, and very few cases required hospitalisation.
“We recommend hospitalization for diseases like severe pneumonia,” he said.
He warned parents not to give antibiotics to their children without a prescription, as it would do more harm than good.
“Antibiotics cannot cure viral infections. Unfortunately, we have this practice in Bangladesh to take medicines for colds and fevers without consulting a doctor,” Mojammel Haque told the correspondent.
Dr Syed recommended maintaining health guidelines suggested to prevent coronavirus infection to prevent the spread of the seasonal flu.
“Wearing masks, washing hand, using hand sanitizer, and maintaining social distance will not only protect children from Covid but also from other viral infections. Children also need rest to recover from illness,” he said.
