Some 235 minors have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the Hospital del Nino  (Children’s Hospital during the pandemic reports Dr Paul Gallardo, director of the Children's Hospital (HN).

Of the total number of cases that have been treated, only 129 have needed hospitalization, which has not been due to COVID-19 itself, but because they suffer from other illnesses.

Unfortunately, Gallardo details, 5 deaths have been registered and another 15 have presented a more serious form of the virus and have developed the multisystemic respiratory syndrome.

There is still no real explanation of the relationship between the development of the syndrome and the mild evolution that most patients have, so it is important that family members should be aware of whether they have a child who has had COVID- 19 and that begins with fever, irritability, red eyes, chapped lips, and edema, and they must go to a specialized center to rule out the existence of the syndrome.

The doctor also referred to the current capacity of the hospital, which, during the pandemic, continues to function with only three operating rooms.

Construction of a new hospital is expected to start early next year.