Children at risk without Covid jabs: paediatrician
An associate professor of paediatrics on Saturday urged parents to ensure young children get their three Covid vaccinations, even if they have previously been infected with the virus.   Mike Kwan from the University of Hong Kong warned that, without immediate medical treatment, children whose jabs are not up to date are at risk of breathing difficulties or even death. He said that people should still be cautious of the disease and practice good hygiene even though the pandemic is officially deemed to be over.  He also said that the vast majority of the 1,000 patients receiving hospital treatment under his care are aged five and under, with about 8 percent of his patients suffering from long Covid. "The symptoms appear after the three months, after they recover from the Covid, and this happens among many organs from the brain, the heart, the lungs, and the gastrointestinal system. Most commonly, it is the respiratory problems," he said.  "They get prolonged cough and prolonged respiratory problems, and some of them got the cognitive deficit. They have memory problems. They have learning difficulties." The doctor said the hot weather had also led to outbreaks of other diseases, including cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease in many kindergartens. "I want to tell the parents to observe for the complications and be aware of the symptoms. The child may have a jerking movement around 10 to 20 times per hour. Those are important signs of meningitis," he said.