Close to 10% of coronavirus patients in Islamabad, Rawalpindi are children: report

• DHO Islamabad says at least 7,052 child patients, from newborn to 10 years of age, have been diagnosed with COVID-19. 
• Health Department official in Rawalpindi says nearly 2,000 children have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
• Officials say deaths among children could not be attributed to coronavirus as they had co-morbidities.

RAWALPINDI: Close to 10% of coronavirus patients reported in Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district are children below the age of 10 years, health department officials confirmed to The News.

Islamabad‘s District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia told the publication that at least 7,052 child patients, from newborn to 10 years of age, have been diagnosed with COVID-19. However, the DHO added that most of the children have recovered from the disease.

“The phenomenon is not new nor has there been any significant increase in the number of child cases in the recent past,” explained Dr Zia. He added that the 10% included children who have been diagnosed with the virus since the pandemic began.

On the other hand, data gathered by The News showed that around 10.4% of the total COVID-19 patients so far reported from the ICT are children. While 68.2% of the patients from the federal capital are between the age of 21 and 60 years.

A gender breakdown showed that in Islamabad 59.10% of the patients were male while 40.90% were females.

Data also reveals that the percentage of child cases from the federal capital was recorded as 10.1% two weeks ago. It also indicates an uptick in the number of child cases in the last two weeks, an increase of four child patients per 1,000 patients.

Meanwhile, a District Health Department Rawalpindi official told The News that nearly 2,000 child patients have, so far, been reported from the district making it 10% of the total.

A gender breakdown of Rawalpindi District showed that out of the total 65% of COVID-19 patients were male and 35% were female.

Interestingly, when it comes to deaths only a few have been reported among child patients suffering from COVID-19. The official added that the deaths could not be attributed to coronavirus as the children had co-morbidities.