Chinese Couple Gives Children Animal Fever Medicine... "No Medicine Due to Panic Buying"

Difficulty Obtaining Fever Reducers Leads to Use of Animal Fever Medicine
Treated at Large Hospital... Liver and Kidney Damage

In China, where COVID-19 variants are spreading, an incident occurred in which parents, unable to obtain fever reducers, gave their young child an animal fever reducer, resulting in liver damage and other injuries.

According to reports from Shangyou News and Toutiao on the 10th, the family of Mr. A, living in Qifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, suffered from high fever symptoms amid suspected COVID-19 infection in mid-last month. The two searched for medicine, but at that time, fever reducers were difficult to obtain throughout China.

This was because, after the government eased COVID-19 prevention measures and the spread intensified, a panic buying frenzy for fever reducers and anti-inflammatory drugs swept the country, causing shortages.

An incident occurred in China, where COVID-19 is rapidly spreading, in which a young child was given veterinary fever reducers, resulting in liver damage and other injuries. The photo is unrelated to the article content. Photo by Yonhap News

Unable to find medicine, the couple decided to give their young child an animal fever reducer they had at home. This fever reducer was intended for cattle, and Mr. A was known to have taken animal fever reducers in the past. At that time, Mr. A reported not feeling anything unusual.

After Mr. A and his wife gave the medicine to their children, the children developed body aches and their temperature rose to 39 degrees Celsius, along with symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting. The couple thought these were COVID-19 symptoms and reportedly gave their children more animal fever reducer.

Even after several days, the children's symptoms did not improve. Hospital tests confirmed high cholesterol levels and problems with liver and kidney functions. The children were immediately transferred to a large hospital in Beijing for treatment.

Medical staff at the Beijing hospital explained that when the children arrived, their health condition was poor, and in the worst case, a liver transplant surgery was considered, according to media reports. Subsequently, the children received treatment for liver and kidney issues and underwent plasma exchange therapy.

Fortunately, their symptoms are now reported to be improving. On the 7th, medical staff stated, "Various indicators are returning to normal," and "The daughter will be able to be discharged in two days."