Fyezah Jehan, head of Paediatrics Child Health at the Aga Khan University
Fyezah Jehan, Linkedin
Media Source: Dawn (Pakistan)
Date: 26 August 2024
The modern world is getting increasingly smaller and interconnected. Whether a newsbreak or a viral outbreak, it travels across continents in the blink of an eye. The symptoms of mpox in children, such as fever, rash, and fatigue, can be easily confused with other common childhood illnesses like chickenpox or measles. This can…
The modern world is getting increasingly smaller and interconnected. Whether a newsbreak or a viral outbreak, it travels across continents in the blink of an eye. The symptoms of mpox in children, such as fever, rash, and fatigue, can be easily confused with other common childhood illnesses like chickenpox or measles. This can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment, increasing the risk of severe outcomes, and unsuspected spreading of the virus. As a corollary, chickenpox which is far more common and causes frequent outbreaks, can also lead to unnecessary fear of mpox. “We need an organised public campaign to educate communities about the symptoms of the infection and the importance of seeking medical care at the first sign of illness, just as we did for Covid. While no treatment is available, early case-finding, diagnosis, supportive care, isolation and contact-tracing can help limit disease. Paediatric-specific guidelines should be developed in this regard,” argues Fyezah Jehan, head of Paediatrics Child Health at the Aga Khan University.