Coronavirus: Hong Kong expert warns of significant rise in post-Covid inflammatory syndrome in children, calls for parents to get young ones vaccinated ahead of in-person classes
- Leading paediatrician says vaccines effective in reducing chance of MIS-C by 90 per cent
- Hong Kong records 613 new Covid-19 cases on Monday and another 20 deaths
The warning came as Hong Kong recorded 613 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the fourth straight day infections were below the 1,000 mark. The city also reported 20 more deaths including three backlogged cases.
Dr Patrick Ip Pak-keung, president of the Hong Kong Paediatric Society, said cross-infection risks in schools were “very high” because the Omicron coronavirus variant was extremely transmissible via short-range airborne particles.
He warned parents of a higher chance of children suffering from multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) following Covid-19 recovery.
“The number of MIS-C cases reported in Hong Kong has significantly increased recently due to a rise in Covid-19 infections,” he said.
“Many MIS-C patients require treatment in intensive care units … Long-term health effects may also occur.”