“We are seeing things in kids we have never seen before”, Mississippi doctor speaks on post-COVID diagnoses in kids

WORLD STAGE. WHAT A WAY TO END THE SUMMER FOR THEM. YES, IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE THROUGH THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IS JUST WEEKS AWAY FOR MANY FAMILIES AMONG THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL PREPS THERE ARE THOUGHTS ABOUT COVID AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT THE ACADEMIC YEAR. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. LEXI, THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT MASS GENERAL FOR CHILDREN PRIMARY CARE. DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, WE KNOW THAT COVID VACCINES ARE ESSENTIALLY AVAILABLE FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES NOW, THE YOUNGEST ONES GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT EARLIER THIS SUMMER, BUT VACCINATION RATES IN THAT GROUP ARE LAGGING, SEVERELY, NATIONALLY AND EVEN HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. IS THAT WHAT’S IN YOUR PRACTICE? >> WE ANTICIPATED THAT IT WOULD BE HARDER TO VACCINATE OUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN SIMPLY BECAUSE PARENTS ARE ALWAYS MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS IN THAT AGE RANGE AND COMPARED TO OUR ADULT POPULATION, KIDS ARE GENERALLY PRETTY HEALTHY, HAVING SAID THAT, WE ARE NOTING IN OUR PRACTICES THAT ONCE PATIENTS ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THEIR TRUSTED CLINICIAN, WE’RE GETTING VACCINATION RATES AMONG THOSE CLOSER TO 25% IN THAT AGE RANGE WHICH IS QUITE ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND THE STATE RATES. RHONDELLA: A LOT DONE THERE. SKEPTICISM CAN TAKE MANY FORMS. PARENTS WONDERING IF THEIR KIDS NEED THE VACCINE AGAINST COVID. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM? >> I TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE RISKS FOR CHILDREN IN GENERAL. IF YOU THINK ABOUT COVID DISEASE IN CHILDREN COMPARED TO ADULTS, IT LOOKS LIKE TWO VERY DIFFERENT ILLNESSES, RIGHT? MOST KIDS DO WELL AND THE RESILIENCE, MOST OF THEM ARE SYMPTOMATIC AND IN RARE CASES WE’RE ACTUALLY SEEING NOT JUST AN INCREASE IN INCIDENTS, BUT SINCE OMICRON STARTED WE’RE SEEING 5% MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND IN DELTA AND 25% OF KIDS IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE GETTING LONG-TERM COVID WHICH LEADS TO INCREASE IN THE RISK OF MYO C CARDITIS AND THEN INFLAMMATION ALL OVER THEIR BODY AND INNESS MISC WITH OVER 8,000 CASES IN THE U.S., NUMBERS THAT PALE IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WE’RE SEEING IN ADULT PATIENTS, BUT STILL, PRETTY SERIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO ILLNESS. IN FACT, WE’VE HAD OVER 480 DEATHS IN CHILDREN AGED LESS THAN FOUR MAKING IT THE FIFTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THIS AGE RANGE AND KIDS SIMPLY AREN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE. RHONDELLA: ABSOLUTELY NOT AND THE CHANGE IN THE C.D.C. MAKE IT COMPLICATED. IF YOU HAD A MESSAGE WHY KID NEED TO BE VACCINATED BEFORE SCHOOL, WHAT IS IT? >> COVID-19 IS A PREVENTIBLE ILLNESS. TALK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN, YOUR TRUSTED MEDICAL PROVIDER TO TALK ABOUT THE RISKS AND BENEFITS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CHILD TO GET THE VACCINE. RHONDELLA: THANK YOU

‘We are seeing things in kids we have never seen before’: Doctor speaks on post-COVID diagnoses

Updated: 7:47 PM EDT Aug 15, 2022

Video above: Doctor answers back-to-school questions about COVID-19A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown children are at a higher risk for life-threatening diagnoses after a COVID-19 infection. “While COVID infections in children are generally mild, the things happening after COVID are quite concerning,” said Dr. Megan Washington, a pediatrician in Mississippi. “We are seeing things in kids we have never seen before like pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, mild carditis or even inflammation of the heart.”Washington said she has seen these types of cases in Mississippi”We definitely have had children who have had long-standing fatigue, dizziness and other things preventing them from doing regular sports or activities,” Washington said.Washington said some kids are still affected by losing their taste and smell. Washington said she wants to stress to parents to get their kids up to date on vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine.”We know the vaccine doesn’t 100% prevent infection, but it definitely decreases post-COVID morbidity and mortality,” Washington said.

Video above: Doctor answers back-to-school questions about COVID-19

A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown children are at a higher risk for life-threatening diagnoses after a COVID-19 infection.

“While COVID infections in children are generally mild, the things happening after COVID are quite concerning,” said Dr. Megan Washington, a pediatrician in Mississippi. “We are seeing things in kids we have never seen before like pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, mild carditis or even inflammation of the heart.”

Washington said she has seen these types of cases in Mississippi

“We definitely have had children who have had long-standing fatigue, dizziness and other things preventing them from doing regular sports or activities,” Washington said.

Washington said some kids are still affected by losing their taste and smell.

Washington said she wants to stress to parents to get their kids up to date on vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We know the vaccine doesn’t 100% prevent infection, but it definitely decreases post-COVID morbidity and mortality,” Washington said.