The World Health Organization and UNICEF have issued new age-specific mask guidance for children, recommending looser masking protocols for younger children. The agency’s new guidance comes the week after a new study from researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital found that children infected with COVID-19 had higher virus levels in their nose and throats than […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization recommended postponing routine dental visits in areas with community transmission of COVID-19 in new guidelines released last week.  Many dental procedures can generate aerosols, or tiny solid or liquid particles that contain disease-causing pathogens. If dentists were unknowningly treating coronavirus infected patients, aerosols laden with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, […] Continue reading ->
Funding for research into sexual and reproductive health issues, ranging from HIV/AIDs to pregnancy prevention, comes from only three major donors, and the global recession caused by COVID-19 may shrink the funding landscape further. “There’s a clear gap in investment to research and develop new products to meet people’s needs in low-resource settings. With a […] Continue reading ->
While children seem to largely escape the worst COVID-19 infections, lockdowns to curb the pandemic have increased exposure to a different threat to children’s health – abuse and violence. In Eastern Uganda, where so far no child has been infected with COVID-19, lockdowns have led to an uptick in reports of child abuse, exploitation, and […] Continue reading ->
A severe disruption of reproductive and children’s health services during the pandemic could cause more deaths in women, children, and adolescents than COVID-19 itself,  according to World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The indirect effects of COVID19 on this group may be greater than the number of deaths due to the virus itself,” […] Continue reading ->
Children are 30 times more likely to experience Kawasaki-like disease in Bergamo, Italy’s epicentre of infections and deaths, reported a Lancet study of 29 children on Wednesday. The SARS-CoV-2 virus could trigger symptoms similar to those of a severe cardiovascular illness called Kawasaki disease. While there were 19 cases of Kawasaki disease in the past […] Continue reading ->
The raging pandemic has highlighted an urgent need to incorporate mental health into COVID-19 recovery plans and to ‘substantially’ improve mental health funding – Or the world will face a ‘massive’ mental health crisis in upcoming months, reported a United Nations policy brief on Thursday.  “The impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health is […] Continue reading ->