More children hospitalized with COVID-19 at San Lazaro Hospital

More children are now getting hospitalized with COVID-19 at the San Lazaro Hospital, according to a report on "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

Dr. Rontgene Solante, chairman of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital, said this may be caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

"Compared natin last year or last March, kaunti lang talaga ang mga bata. Ngayon, nadadagdagan na. Most of the symptoms are very mild lang so they have cough, fever, except for one, which was the youngest I think 3 months old which was more or less severe form of COVID," Solante said.

(Last year or last March, very few kids were taken to hospital. But now, there are a lot more. Most of the symptoms are very mild, so they have a cough, fever. Except for one case, which was the youngest I think. A three-month-old who more or less has a  severe form of COVID.)

"The transmissibility has now extended not only for adults but also to younger age groups. And most of the sources of these younger age group are also coming from their parents or from their caretakers," he added.

Earlier, the Department of Health said an increase in COVID-19 infections in the country has been recorded in all age groups and not just among children.

The DOH issued the statement amid concerns over the reported increase in the number of children contracting COVID-19.

Dr. Jocelyn Eusebio, chief of the Philippine Pediatric Society, said children have strong resistance against COVID-19 but they could still be more vulnerable against the more transmissible Delta variant. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News