Dr. Wahied Khawar Balwan and Sachdeep Kour
COVID-19 AND KIDS
Amidst all the chaos caused by the novel coronavirus, elderly people and people with pre-existing medical conditions have been declared the most vulnerable. While COVID-19 does not pose any severe risks to children, parents have been extra careful during this pandemic. However, in a recent report, a serious condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) has been identified amongst the younger population. The novel coronavirus has been quite lenient towards the kids, considering the fact that children are less vulnerable to the deadly pathogen. However, in recent reports, a new group of symptoms have started affecting the children in the worst way possible. As per the research, COVID-19 can cause a serious condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). While most children who have been affected by COVID-19 have only experienced mild symptoms, children who develop MIS-C condition have come up with severe inflammation in various organs of the body, including heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, digestive system, brain, skin or eyes.
A COVID-positive child who has developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) may show various symptoms other than the most common signs of COVID-19 like Swollen glands in the neck, Dry, cracked lips, Rash, Red fingers or toes, Inflamed eyes. Following a thorough medical examination of 35 children suffering from COVID induced multisystem inflammatory syndrome, the researchers claimed that the symptoms can also be “mucocutaneous”, which involves both typical skin and mucous membrane, like nostrils. Besides that, the children who volunteered also showed signs of swollen eyes, flushed cheeks and a “strawberry tongue”. Strawberry tongue as it has been called defines the condition where children develop swollen, bumpy and bright red tongue. Amongst the 35 children involved in the assessment, 8 showed signs of strawberry tongue. Seven of the children endured red, swollen eyes, while six developed flushed cheeks.
COVID-19 AND WINTER
The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis that affects everyone. The popular notion that the COVID-19 pandemic has been ‘good for the environment’ that nature is recovering while humanity stays at home appeals to many people grasping for some upside to the global tragedy. Reality, though, may not cooperate with such hopes. The benefits many found heartening early on from cleaner air to birdsong newly audible as cars and planes went quiet were always likely to be temporary. And with lockdowns easing, they have already begun to dissipate. Now, some experts fear that the world risks a future with more traffic, more pollution, and climate change that worsens faster than ever. It’s too soon to know whether that gloomy scenario will play out, but concerning signs seem to be growing all around the world.
Coronavirus is transmitted through the air and primarily infects the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of mammals and birds. Though most of the members of the coronavirus family only cause mild flu-like symptoms during infection, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV can infect both upper and lower airways and cause severe respiratory illness and other complications in humans. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing widespread morbidity and mortality globally. Much of the world has implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions, including preventing large gatherings, voluntary or enforced social distancing, and contact tracing and quarantining, in order to prevent infections from overwhelming health care systems and exacerbating mortality rates. However, these interventions risk substantial economic damage, and thus decision makers are currently developing or implementing plans for lifting these restrictions. Consequently, improved forecasts of COVID-19 risks are needed to inform decisions that weigh the risks to both human health and economy. One of the greatest uncertainties for projecting future COVID-19 risk is how weather will affect its future transmission dynamics. SARS-CoV-2 might be particularly sensitive to weather, because preliminary laboratory trials suggest that it survives longer outside the human body than other viruses.
There are good reasons to expect a respiratory virus to show seasonal variation. Infections from influenza and respiratory syncytial virus are more common during winter in temperate areas of the world. One big reason for viruses to spread more easily in winter is that people spend more time indoors, often with others, boosting the chances of transmission. Windows are usually closed, reducing the ventilation that disperses airborne infection. Viruses also tend to survive for longer at cold temperatures and at low humidity. Research shows that there is an increase in COVID-19 cases as temperature and humidity fall. A recent study points to more severe cases in cold and dry weather. A study conducted in Sydney during the early epidemic stage of COVID-19 has found an association between lower humidity and an increase in locally acquired positive cases. Researchers discovered a 1 percent decrease in humidity could increase the number of COVID-19 cases by 6 percent. If the COVID-19 pandemic follows the same pattern and blows up as we head into winter, the result could be a greater number of deaths than seen in summer.
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 will thrive this winter for three reasons namely dropping temperatures, diving relative humidity, and drier respiratory tracts. When the weather turns cold, air gets drier. And turning on the heat dries both the air and the tissues lining the airways, impairing how well mucus removes debris and invaders like SARS-CoV-2. Studies show significantly more infections happen and spread when the relative humidity falls from between 40% and 60%, a range typical in warmer weather to 20%. That research draws from past outbreaks of flu and MERS, which is caused by another coronavirus. More recent case reports from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic’s early days in China and Seattle conclude the same thing that the virus stays stable longer and finds purchase on receptors in our airways better when the relative humidity sits at a wintry 20%. That’s one reason why we catch more colds and flu in cold weather. Limiting the number of people in a confined space, wearing a mask, and ensuring good ventilation can help reduce the risk of infection indoors. But still, the viral particles from an infected person are unlikely to just blow away, as they might outside on a windy day. Consequently, the admonition for people to stay six feet apart may not be adequate in offices, schools, restaurants, and other indoor spaces, some scientists said. Depending on ventilation, mask use, air filtration, and other variables, any indoor space may carry either low or high risk of transmission.
Masks are more effective than ventilation or air filtration because they filter aerosols and large drops at their source, as a person emits them. That means either more people can safely be in a room together or they can safely spend more time there, compared to a space that has only ventilation or air filtration. As the weather gets colder and people spend more time inside, improving air circulation and filters in buildings will be key to controlling covid-19. The people can take following measures to protect themselves from increased virus survival and transmission rates in the upcoming winter months like:
1. To respect the social distance, at least 2 meters if no air circulation is present, and in case of air or wind speeds, this social distance should be up to 6 meters depending on the wind speed.
2. Avoid conditions of high relative humidity, especially indoor
3. Avoid places of low temperature.
4. Avoid crowded places
5. Wear protective face masks, especially in situations where there is unavoidable close contact with other people.
6. Avoid forced air convection or forced air circulation in closed indoor places.
7. Apply natural ventilation and air circulation indoors.
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