Nearly 150 children have been infected with COVID and the Lady Ridgeway Hospital has now taken steps to begin home-based treatments. “We decided to keep children less than 2 years with COVID at the hospital and those with mild symptoms will be sent to other treatment centres,” opined Dr. Deepal Perera, Consultant Paediatrician at Lady Ridgeway Hospital.

“A stable child between 2-14 years will be discharged but those with comorbidities such as pneumonia will be kept in the hospital” he added. 

When asked about vaccination for children he said that the plan is to vaccinate children who are 12+ years of age. “But initially it will be those who are 18 years of age, then 16 and the age groups below that will be vaccinated later on.” said Dr. Perera. He further said that as Sri Lanka has reached the peak of the wave a lot of children are testing positive for the virus. “Parents should ensure that they don’t take the virus home. If children get the disease they will get Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome and a considerable percentage will die,” he warned.