An eight-year-old child infected with Covid-19 has been moved to an intensive care unit, , doctors said, in what is the first case of its kind in Romania.
The unnamed child was transferred to the Gomoiu Hospital in Bucharest from the eastern city of Buzau several days ago and is the first child with the virus to need intensive care treatment.
The youngster initially tested negative for the virus, after being hospitalized for a headache and fever. The child’s parents have both been diagnosed with the virus.
Initially, doctors thought the minor had meningitis and transferred the youngster to the capital where a second test was carried out. This time it came up positive.
Prof. Alexandru Rafila said Wednesday that the child had Kawasaki disease, a rare condition which is a multisystem inflammatory syndrome which can affect children under the age of 5.
SARS-CoV-2 is associated with higher incidence of Kawasaki disease in children.
“The child’s is stable and doesn’t need a ventilator although the lungs are affected,” Prof. Rafila said He is head of the Matei Bals National Institute for Infectious Diseases’ laboratory and is one of Romania’s top experts on the coronavirus.
Prof. Rafila called it “a very rare case” that deserves “our care and compassion.”
Romanian health authorities say the age of people now being infected with the novel coronavirus has gradually decreased in recent weeks.
Romania on Wednesday reported a record high number of 1,713 new coronavirus infections in the past day.
