04/22/2021 10:50
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 04/22/2021 10:50 AM
In the midst of the second wave of coronavirus in Argentina, the Garrahan Hospital reported that it currently
has 39 children hospitalized for covid-19
, three of them in intensive care, and that the sector for patients ill with the virus "is already in a 100% occupancy ".
Dr.
Rosa Bologna
, head of Infectious Diseases at this highly complex center, spoke with the media to clarify the situation of one of the most important children's hospitals in South America.
It happened just a day after it was reported from the Gutiérrez Hospital that twelve other boys are hospitalized there.
"Of those 39 patients we have,
three are in the intensive care unit
, a number that is higher than we usually had last year during the pandemic," said the professional in front of the microphones.
Bologna also explained that most of the patients present "moderate severity" and that
80%
are boys with underlying diseases.
While the other 20% have no history, "they are healthy children."
It also revealed that there are "
young
infants
who are infected."
Regarding these latest numbers, Bologna said that of the total number of confirmed covid-19 patients in 2020 - more than a thousand cases -
"47% had underlying disease"
, but that "at this time the percentage is much higher" .
Garrahan Hospital is one of the reference health centers for boys in South America.
Photo Luciano Thieberger.
When asked about where these boys could have been infected, the doctor could not give details, but said that many of them are boys who are hospitalized as part of the follow-up of other pathologies.
In Garrahan there are "a significant number of
cancer patients
, heart disease and neurological diseases who are under follow-up," he explained.
Although he added that, anyway, many of the children with covid-19 are hospitalized exclusively for this disease.
Regarding the origin of the coronavirus patients, Bologna indicated that many are from the province of Buenos Aires, especially from the suburbs.
"We could say that at this time
AMBA prevails
in general, unlike all our pathologies," he reported.
Rosa Bologna is head of Infectology at Hospital Garrahan.
TV capture.
Regarding the percentage of occupancy of beds that the hospital has at this time, Bologna reported that "the intensive care units are 80% occupied" and that in "the intermediate care rooms there is also a very high percentage" with patients .
Finally, he remarked that
"the rooms that are dedicated to covid are 100%
.
"
According to the news agency
Télam
, in Garrahan the number of hospitalized for coronavirus began to rise from week 9 (from March 1 to 8) and that there was a peak of
85 pediatric patients
in control with a diagnosis of covid -19 in week 15 (from April 12 to 19).
Between October 2020 and March 2021, the hospital had never exceeded 25 confirmed cases in follow-up.
With regard to what messages should be given to the parents of the children at this time, the Garrahan head of infectology said that it is necessary to "maintain the importance of prevention measures, social distance, the use of the chinstrap and the cleaning of hands ", but that at this time
" it is essential to reduce mobility
, maintain care and avoid meetings. "
He also recommended the use of masks for boys
from the age of two
.
"We encourage it because children quickly acquire prevention habits," he concluded.
On Wednesday, the head of epidemiology at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital and advisor to the Government,
Ángela Gentile
, confirmed to
Clarín
that there are twelve boys hospitalized with covid-19 in that health center, two of them in intensive care.
"Despite being mild symptoms, we have them hospitalized because they have underlying diseases, so in general one has more precautions and leaves them more time in observation, to see the evolution," Gentile stressed.
The two admitted to intensive care
are 10 and 14 years old
, and both present comorbidities.
They currently have respiratory support.
"The prognosis is good. They are stable and we bet they have a good evolution. There is no risk of life at this time. Last year we have had a very good evolution of all the cases that we have admitted," Gentile stressed.
LGP
Look also
There are 12 children hospitalized with coronavirus at the Gutiérrez Hospital: two are in intensive care
Psychological consultations for boys on the rise: the symptoms of the second wave