Australia’s active hospital-based surveillance for severe childhood disease
PAEDS is pleased to announce that, with additional support from NSW Ministry of Health, the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick has joined our national surveillance network. The need to strengthen PAEDS coverage in NSW was considered an important aspect of the NSW Health COVID-19 pandemic response.
SCH will conduct surveillance of children presenting with COVID-19 and its possible inflammatory complications, Kawasaki disease and Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) phenomena seen in children and adolescents around the world. PAEDS has been actively working to ensure our processes are highly sensitive for identifying any potential cases of these manifestations of COVID-19 in children and young people.
Incorporating a second NSW site will ensure a more comprehensive capture of hospital presentations among children in NSW. PAEDS warmly welcomes Dr Brendan McMullan, Infectious Disease Specialist, as the site investigator and Ms Nicole Kerly as surveillance nurse to the network.