As the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in serious condition in Israel continues to rise, there has been a corresponding rise in the number of hospitalized children with the virus, Haaretz reported.

A dedicated children’s ward for the coronavirus opened in Safra Children’s Hospital in Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer last week and there has been a marked increase in hospital admissions of pediatric coronavirus patients in hospitals throughout Israel, a situation that requires complicated logistical arrangments, burdening the already taxed health system.

Most of the hospitalized children who are positive for COVID-19 were admitted for other reasons and were only discovered to be positive for the virus when tests were carried out upon admission. The children must then be quarantined in a specialized pediatric ward with special efforts made to prevent infection of other patients and hospital staff. One parent is allowed to stay with each pediatric coronavirus patient but is forbidden from leaving the room until the child is discharged.

The number of coronavirus cases in children under age nine doubled in the past month, from 12,000 at the beginning of September to 24,000 as of last week, the Health Ministry stated. The number of coronavirus cases in children and teenagers under the age of 19 more than doubled during the same time period, from 35,000 at the beginning of September to 75,000 at the end of the month.

“Pediatric hospitalizations require complicated logistical arrangements and coverage, quarantine, and postponement of surgeries,” said Prof. Galia Grisero, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Dana Children’s Hospital in Tel Aviv. “It puts a huge strain on the health system and staff members and it’s a formidable challenge to operate the system in a way that maintains the safety of the other patients and staff.”

Dr. Efrat Harlev, director of the Schneider Children’s Medical Center, confirmed that there has been an increase in the number of children with the coronavirus hospitalized at Schneiders in recent days as well.

“The situation requires extra attention regarding their increased medical complexity as well as the logistical complexity in providing space for the hospitalized children while maintaining the safety of their parents as well as staff members.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)