If you are a parent, you are constantly concerned with or at least thinking about your child's health and safety. This is part of being a parent. However, with the global pandemic of COVID-19 going on, you may be even more preoccupied with their health and safety than you were before, especially with the prospect of going back to school looming on the horizon. Get to know some of the facts about kids and COVID-19. Then, you can be sure you are taking the best possible care of your child going forward in this difficult and confusing time. 

Most Known COVID-19 Cases Are Not in Children

One piece of good news to keep in mind is that the vast majority of known COVID-19 cases to date have been in adults rather than children. Now, this does not mean that children are somehow immune to the disease or that they are not catching it. 

It is quite possible, in fact, that many children have caught COVID-19 and have just had minimal to no symptoms. When children have few to no symptoms, parents are less likely to take them to a pediatrician for testing than if the child became very ill. 

Children Can Still Get Serious Illness from COVID-19

While it is good news that children do not seem to be as affected by COVID-19 as adults, this does not mean that they are completely in the clear. Some children do come down with severe forms of COVID-19 illness.

There have been children hospitalized from COVID-19 and there have been deaths attributed to the virus in children. This is rare, though. 

Some children develop what is known as Kawasaki disease or Kawasaki-like disease, which is an inflammatory condition, from COVID-19. It causes the blood vessels to get inflamed and can be a critical (even deadly) illness. 

Children Can Still Carry the Virus Even with Minimal Symptoms

Even if your child shows few to no symptoms of the COVID-19 illness, they can still carry the virus. This means they can easily infect adults around them. Because of this fact, if your child shows even the slightest symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of taste or smell, or shortness of breath, you should call their pediatrician immediately. 

Your child's pediatrician will assess their symptoms and can direct you to the right people to contact in your state if they believe your child needs to be tested for the virus. Also, if your child does return to school, keep them home even if they are only mildly ill. This will prevent them from spreading the virus to classmates and teachers. 

Now that you know more about kids and COVID-19, you can be sure you are doing what you can to take care of and protect your child through this pandemic. Contact Ada Pediatrics PA to learn more.