No omicron cases in ICU at German children's hospital

Children who fall severely ill with the omicron variant of COVID-19 are presenting with very different symptoms compared to earlier variants, and facing shorter stays in hospital."The disease causes mainly gastrointestinal problems," said Prof. Dr. Gerd Horneff, medical director of Asklepios Children's Hospital Sankt Augustin.

"The children look like they have blood poisoning, sepsis, they are very sick, they need an infusion, they don't eat or drink, but they don't have respiratory diseases."They don't have any more organ disease, they don't have any significant problems with their lungs, so we don't have to admit them to the ICU," Horneff said. Only five children were currently being treated for COVID-19 at his hospital, which is located just outside Bonn. The hospital also has a children's vaccination center, which has delivered over 6,000 jabs since December.