When Will Children Be Discharged from the Hospital? Deputy Director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases

The Deputy Director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases, Naira Stepanyan, spoke with ArmDaily.am, stating that the treatment of six children transferred from Martuni Hospital on June 12 is ongoing.

“On the 12th, six children were admitted to us. These were children who were already receiving treatment at the center for the diagnosis of acute respiratory illness. In the second half of the day, around 3-4 PM, the children experienced general weakness and vomiting. The vomiting was so frequent that the children quickly became dehydrated, and since there were more than two children, they were transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital,” reported Naira Stepanyan.

She noted that the next day, seven more children and one adult were admitted to Martuni Hospital. Some of the children had already been discharged from the Martuni Medical Center the previous day. All patients exhibited the same symptoms: nausea, vomiting, and weakness.

“There were children who were quite weak. Two were admitted to the intensive care unit; after receiving intensive therapy, their condition stabilized and they were transferred to regular wards. Some developed diarrhea, while others experienced restless stomachs, which is consistent with the diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis that we made upon admission,” Stepanyan emphasized.

The deputy director added that all samples are being tested and have been sent to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “We cannot comment on the causative agent and the reason because a working group has been formed at the National Center and they are working with both the samples and the outbreak,” she said.

Regarding the duration of treatment, she indicated that it is possible to discharge some children today as they are already receiving treatment for acute respiratory illness. “They are receiving treatment here for those issues as well, and therefore, we will only discharge the children after managing their respiratory illness, not just the intestinal syndrome or toxic syndrome,” Stepanyan concluded.