Pediatrician and Chairperson of the Maldives Technical Advisory Group on Immunization Dr. Ahmed Faisal says COVID-19 illness is spreading rapidly among children and that even one-month-olds are being treated in the hospital.
Speaking to 'the Press', Dr. Faisal said that a special ward had been designated for children diagnosed with COVID-19 at Dharumavantha Hospital and that the ward is now full because of the increasing number of infected children.
While children with COVID had been treated at Dharumavantha hospital, adults who require hospital admission due to the illness are taken to the COVID facility. Before, children were also taken to the facilities.
Dr. Faisal said that it was difficult to treat children at the facilities but since the designated ward at Dharumavantha Hospital has now become full, COVID-infected children may have to be taken to the facility.
He pointed out that 6 children between the ages of 1 month and 14 years are currently being treated at the hospital and as the COVID vaccine cannot be administered at these ages, the risk is high.
Dr. Faisal noted that some of the children admitted are those who had dietary problems due to the fever and other symptoms brought on by the COVID illness.
After a prolonged period in which COVID cases had been relatively low, the country saw an increasing number of COVID cases in the last few weeks.
