Two families with young children share how they combated the virus, plus expert advice

Sameera Reddy and her kids recently tested positive. Pic/Instagram

Recently, former actor Sameera Reddy shared on social media that she and her husband, along with her daughter Nyra and son Hans, tested positive for Coronavirus. Her children, aged one and six years respectively, are among the more than 79,000 kids in the country who have tested positive since March, this year, as per data from the Union health ministry. Evidence also suggests that more children are symptomatic than in the first wave and the severity of the illness in the paediatric age group has increased. Young mothers, whose children recently braved a positive diagnosis, share their experience and insights.

Watch out for atypical symptoms
One morning, my 12-year-old daughter Parissa woke up with extreme pain in her legs. At first, we thought she had pulled a hamstring and that it would get better with rest. But, that evening, when I got home from work, she had a fever of over 99 degrees F. We quarantined her as a precautionary measure. That night, while she was asleep in her bedroom, the pain swept across her body and she couldn't turn on her sides or lift her legs and arms. Her fever was around 100 degrees F. We immediately arranged for a Covid-19 test and continued to quarantine her. Her condition began to deteriorate and the pain became unbearable to the point where she was barely able to walk. After her test indicated that she was positive for the virus, I quarantined with her so that I could care for her. By then, she had begun vomiting and couldn't eat. We consulted a paediatrician. Her body had swollen up and she was throwing up everything she ate, including medicines. The pain had intensified and she started developing rashes. Her oxygen levels remained normal throughout this period. When I spoke with a friend, who is a doctor, she advised me to hospitalise Parissa. We admitted her in a children's hospital, where she was administered steroids. The doctors there identified it as a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). She was put on Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) therapy and, after two days, her condition improved slightly. We were at the hospital for seven days after which, we brought her home and continued her steroid medication for seven days.

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

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