Children have become seriously unwell after their illnesses were 'mislabelled' as COVID-19 by their parents, senior medic has warned.
People's fears about taking their kids to hospital in case they catch the virus may have also contributed to a drop in attendance at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
The number of children being taken to the A&E department was 52.9 per cent lower than predicted between April 10 and 17.
Emergency admissions were 50.59pc lower than predicted during that same week. The hospital’s medical director Jane Valente said it was an alarming drop. “Children with serious conditions such as new onset diabetes or severe infections have presented extremely unwell due to mislabelling of the illness as COVID-19 or fear