Vicente just turned 2 years old. The party, with balloons, cake and “Happy Birthday to You”, was shared only with parents and a small group of physicians and nursing professionals, in an ICU room at Pequeno Príncipe Hospital. In addition to celebrating his birthday, Vicente had one more great reason to celebrate: he faced and won the coronavirus while recovering from a bone marrow transplant.

Vicente is one of de 11 patients assisted at the Hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The first suspected case of the disease was registered on March 4. Since then, more than 150 children and adolescents have been investigated. According to infectologist Victor Horácio de Souza Costa Junior, of the 11 confirmed cases, four had other associated diseases. “As seen in adults, the two patients who were in a serious condition had other comorbidities,” he says.

The infectologist sends an important warning to parents and caregivers of children. As with all other diseases, he emphasizes that early diagnosis makes a lot of difference in the conduct of treatment and in the COVID-19 cure chances in children. “We have seen many boys and girls arrive with respiratory conditions and other serious situations, because the parents tried to solve the problem at home, medicating these patients on their own. This masks the symptoms and can aggravate the cases,” warns. At the Pequeno Príncipe, care flows were created to separate patients suspected of having COVID-19 from others, thus ensuring the safety of children and adolescents treated at the institution and their families.

This is one of the subjects of the 6^th edition of Pequeno Príncipe News – Special edition COVID-19, that also presents a report about the importance of financial resources to face the deficit generated by the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic should generate an estimated deficit between US$ 3 million and US$ 4 million for the institution, which will be added to the US$ 5 million already recurrent, caused by underfunding in the health sector in Brazil. High prices for supplies, materials, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and essential drugs for coping with the coronavirus, the need to increase stocks, temporary interruption of elective surgeries and reduction of other services, resulting from the necessary social distancing policy, are the origin of the problem.

The executive director of the Hospital, Ety Cristina Forte Carneiro, made a special thanks for the support received during the pandemic. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who heard our call and, once again, is committed to the cause of children’s health. The union between the first, second and third sectors is being fundamental to save lives. May this pandemic reinforce the importance of this union in Brazilian society to solve the great problems that our country still faces, caused by social inequality and that impacts in so many areas, such as health, education and sheltering. Pequeno Príncipe, for 100 years, promotes the health of children and adolescents with equity and excellence. We are sure that this joint effort will allow our work to continue, with financial health,” she highlights.

COVID-19 Report
At last, the Pequeno Príncipe News presents a report about the patient care offered to boys and girls with suspected of COVID-19. Since March 4 until June 5, the Hospital investigated 152 patients with suspect of the disease and 11 cases have been confirmed. Of these, on June 5, ten were recovered and, unfortunately, one patient has died.

Click here and read the full-length articles in the 6^th edition of Pequeno Príncipe News – Special edition COVID-19.