There is still no scientific consensus as to why COVID-19 is not affecting pediatric patients as severely as other groups, but physicians are thankful nonetheless.

Dr. Tariq Khan has served young patients in Jamestown through his practice Southern Tier Pediatrics for more than 20 years, and is grateful that younger patients do not appear to be a high risk group.

“We are learning this data as we go, but the numbers in pediatrics, and we don’t know what that protective factor in kids may be, remain very low. Which I think is a blessing,” Khan said. “Our sample size is very small, because we are not screening a lot of folks in the county, but typically looking across the state and other areas of the state such as New York City and mid-state-the pediatric population affected still remains quite low. It is still a very small percentage and we are very grateful for that. The pediatric ICUs (intensive care units) up in Buffalo Children’s (Hospital), fortunately, or other children’s hospitals, don’t have any critically ill COVID-19 patients,” Khan said on Friday.

Treating pediatric patients has always required specific solutions from physicians, and those needs have evolved under the current pandemic. Khan and his peers are now treating many young patients through telemedicine consultations, with the help of their parents, grandparents and caretakers. Even in the face of unprecedented social restrictions and difficult circumstances, the responses have been encouraging. “Our parents and families have been amazingly cooperative, and realizing that everyone is in the thick of it together. They have been very accommodating,” Khan said.

Among the many issues specific to young patients are postnatal checkups and vaccinations. Khan emphasized the need to perform routine checks on infants in the days and weeks after birth, to ensure that any conditions such as congenital heart defects are not present. There is also special attention being paid to immunizations for pediatric patients.

“For our youngest and the most at risk patients, the newborns, the very young infants, we are still making an effort, if they need to be seen, to see them. Keeping up with their immunizations,” Khan said. The pediatric community is making efforts to stop a future outbreak of vaccine preventing conditions.

“These families and these kids are a part of your family. You take care of them from zero until they are almost done with college,” Khan said.