UAE: Baby recovers from life-threatening Covid-19 infection after 9 days of treatment

UAE: Baby recovers from life-threatening Covid-19 infection after 9 days of treatment

UAE - An 11-month-old infant survived a severe Covid-19 infection after doctors in the UAE administered a unique combination treatment. Julien bin Hamad and his parents were on vacation in the country when he developed a high-grade fever, a cough, vomiting and severe breathing difficulties.

His parents rushed him to the emergency department of RAK Hospital, where the medical team also detected low blood oxygen saturation levels. The Czech baby’s condition was so critical that he was shifted to the ICU, and oxygen therapy started immediately.

An RT-PCR test confirmed he was Covid-positive, while his chest X-ray showed extensive pneumonia in both lungs.

“We were extremely surprised as even during the peak Covid time, we had not encountered such kind of severe pneumonia in kids. Julien was the first paediatric Covid patient with extensive bilateral pneumonia managed at RAK Hospital. When, on [a] normal oxygen mask, his condition was not improving, we put him on High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) therapy, which was successfully used to manage severe Covid-19 in adults,” said Dr Rashmi Anandani, specialist paediatrician.

After consulting an infectious disease specialist, the boy was put on intravenous steroids, remsedivir and antibiotics. Remisidevir is used in very few cases for children, the doctor