MINSK, 1 February (BelTA) – No pediatric patients with COVID-19 were mechanically ventilated as of 31 January, First Deputy Healthcare Minister Yelena Krotkova told reporters, BelTA has learned.
Children have fairly mild symptoms, though some of them need inpatient treatment. The number of hospitalizations of children increased, Yelena Krotkova noted. As of 28 January, 696 underage children were in hospitals across the country, three were in intensive care. On 31 January, two children were to be transferred from the intensive care unit to another department. “None of the children are on mechanical ventilation due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and respiratory failure,” Yelena Krotkova said.
There are enough pediatric hospital beds in the country, she added.
According to Yelena Krotkova, there are about 8,000 patients with pneumonia in Belarus, but the number of patients with severe symptoms did not rise for a week and a half. The number of patients on mechanical ventilation slightly dropped.
“This is because omicron causes milder symptoms. At the same time, older people and people having certain underlying medical conditions are at greater risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19,” the first deputy healthcare minister emphasized.
She noted that there are enough medicines, consumables, personal protective equipment in the country. This issue is under control, the stock is constantly replenished.
