Cuban science studies sequelae of COVID-19 in children and adolescents

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 10 (ACN) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said today on Twitter that science is studying the after-effects of COVID-19 in pediatric patients, and stressed that none has died in a year of pandemic, even if more than 6,300 have been infected, 270 of them in the last 48 hours. “Taking care of them is a priority,” he insisted.

The President of the Republic received this information from Dr. Lissette López González, head of the National Pediatrics Group, who remarked that a significant number of children and teenagers (51) are in intensive care units as a result of the current third outbreak of the disease.

About possible after-effects on their mental health, she explained that 32% of 1,289 studied cases had led risky conducts before falling ill, including over-consumption of technology, rebellious and defiant behavior, stubbornness, excessive attachment, irritability, fears and nightmares.
Another 14.1% suffered from some post-COVID-19 psychopathologies such as separation anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, panics and transient tics.

“However, our quick therapeutic intervention made these problems go without any permanent psychological sequelae,” she said.

From the biological point of view, SARS-CoV-2’s impact on the health of infants and adolescents has also been established, which invalidates the initial myth that children do not get sick or suffer from lasting symptoms.