Even as the people still remain in the grip of panic owing to the prediction of a possible third wave of COVID-19, viral fever has gripped many districts of Bihar, leaving the masses further alarmed. What is worrying, however, is that the majority of the victims are children. The viral fever has claimed at least three lives of children so far while hundreds of them have been admitted to various hospitals across the state.The situation is such that all beds for children in most of the government hospitals, such as the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Patna is fully occupied.According to reports, there are a total of 467 beds earmarked for children in all these four government hospitals in the state capital. Of them, 390 beds are currently full. Similarly, 140 children have been admitted to hospitals in Muzaffarpur in the past 24 hours although 230 children are already undergoing treatment in two prominent hospitals in the district. Another 50 children are undergoing treatment in Bhagalpur medical college against the total bed capacity of 70, indicating the gravity of the situation, officials said.Doctors said the majority of the children admitted to the hospitals suffer from fever, cough, cold, breathlessness, and pneumonia. Prominent child specialist Dr. Gopal Shankar Sahani who is posted at the Srikrishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur said the viral fever could be the variants of the COVID-19.According to health officials, currently, nine districts are in the grip of viral fever. They include Gopalganj, Saran, Siwan, Buxur, Kamiur, Vaishali, Jehanabad, Nawada, and Rohtas. In Saran, three girl children have died in the past four days.The development comes amid the third wave fear already prevails. A panel set up by the central government, in its latest report, has warned that the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic could peak around October. It said the public healthcare system should have better medical preparedness for children who might be at similar risk as adults.Apparently, this is the reason the people are crowding the vaccination centres in Bihar before it is late. Only yesterday, as many as 16.33 lakh people were vaccinated at 9,352 centres in the state, leaving Bihar only the second state in the country after UP to have maximum vaccination in a day. So far, more than 4.10 crore population has been vaccinated. Of them, 3.40 crores have got the first dose while 69.98 lakh have received both doses.

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