Providing home-based care for COVID-infected children aged above 02 years has commenced, says Dr. Channa De Silva, Consultant Paediatric Chest Physician at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo.

Accordingly, symptomatic or mildly symptomatic children can also be referred to medical supervision, he added.

Dr. De Silva noted that children who undergo home-based care should not have uncontrolled comorbidities, chronic heart diseases or other medical conditions.

A home-based treatment program was initiated after taking into account the rapid increase in the number of children infected with COVID-19 and it is now being implemented island-wide, he stated further.

According to Dr. De Silva, the children requiring home-based care should have an adult at home for providing caregiver support, as well as proper communication facilities.

Children eligible for this procedure can be given treatment at home in coordination with the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) of the area.

For inquiries in this regard can be obtained from the call centre through the hotline 1390.

Speaking further, Dr. de Silva stated that COVID-19 is a common viral condition in most children and that they recover from the infection the due to natural immunity, adding less than 1% of children with novel coronavirus end up having complications.

He also urged parents to hospitalize children with any COVID-related complication, without delay.

Further. Dr. De Silva cautioned that giving medicines to children without the prescription from a doctor can be harmful.