Recent reports from South Africa suggest that more children are being hospitalised with moderate to severe symptoms following the Omicron outbreak in the country.

According to Dr Rudo Mathivha, head of Intensive Care at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital, the hospital is admitting around 5-10 children at a time. The doctor further highlighted two severe cases of COVID-19, wherein a 15 year old succumbed to the virus, while a 17 year old continues to undergo treatment in the ICU.

However, the hospital is yet to confirm whether the two were suffering from the Omicron variant.

“We are now seeing them [children] coming in with moderate to severe symptoms needing supplemental oxygen, needing supportive therapy, needing to stay in hospital for quite a number of days,” says Dr Mathivha.

She confirms that the concerned children had no prior health condition, only suffered with fever for the first two days, following which the condition deteriorated rapidly.

“And we lost that patient … This is the first incident of a child who had no comorbidities and nothing existing before who has passed from Covid that I am aware of,” she adds.