How Does Omicron Manifest Among Children? Ministry Clarifies

“How can we characterize Omicron among children?” “What are its manifestations?” clarified Sergey Sargsyan, advisor on pediatrics at the Ministry of Health of Armenia. Recently, similar to many countries around the world, the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has led to a rise in infection cases in Armenia, particularly among children. There has been an increase in hospitalizations.

Based on foreign publications from recent weeks and summarizing the experience already accumulated in Armenia, Sergey Sargsyan answers questions about how Omicron can be characterized among children and what its manifestations are.

Overall, Omicron resembles other acute respiratory infections and previous variants of the coronavirus. The main symptoms include varying degrees of weakness and a rise in temperature, sore throat, runny nose, primarily dry or slight mucus production, sometimes spasmodic cough, headache, and body aches. Occasionally, mild diarrhea and vomiting may occur.

Compared to other variants of the coronavirus, the frequency of pneumonia among children infected with Omicron has significantly decreased; in most cases, the illness resolves within 2-3 days and is limited to nasal and throat complaints. In younger children, there may sometimes be inflammation of the throat and trachea, namely croup or bronchitis, accompanied by signs of respiratory distress, and there are also cases of ear infections.

In rare cases, the coronavirus has complicated with nervous system involvement, leading to seizures or even meningitis.

As with all other respiratory diseases, COVID-19, including Omicron, tends to be more severe in children when there are concurrent health issues. At the same time, it can manifest so mildly that all the aforementioned signs are barely noticeable to parents.

Recently, as in other countries, parents and pediatricians have observed cases of skin manifestations of the coronavirus infection. Specifically, skin rashes, redness, and small papular and/or spotted rashes have been noted, sometimes with a bluish tint. Allergic rashes, particularly urticaria, have also been observed, which in some cases may be drug-related. Rashes are sometimes accompanied by varying degrees of itching.

In case of suspicion of coronavirus infection in a child, it is essential to consult a family doctor or pediatrician as soon as possible. For home treatment, the main rules are quite simple: monitor the child's overall condition, mood, breathing, manage fever as much as possible, provide sufficient and additional fluids, and feed the child appropriately. However, there are signs that necessitate immediate medical attention. These include frequent and labored breathing (not related to nasal obstruction), wheezing, seizures, severe weakness where the child cannot drink or eat, unusual drowsiness, persistent severe headache, and uncontrolled repeated vomiting. For infants in the first months of life, any slight increase or decrease in body temperature (above 37.5 or below 36.5), refusal to feed, inactivity, and monotonous crying that does not subside after feeding or care should be monitored closely.

And, of course, it is crucial not to self-medicate, especially with antibiotics, as experience shows that in the overwhelming majority of COVID cases, an infected child does not require such treatment.