I was
recently teaching a child of 11 who had
the sniffles. We were both masked and distanced. I felt bad for him, because
while my mind kept telling me it’s very,
very likely just a cold (it was), another, Covid-19-influenced voice was
advising me to get away, fast. You
know that voice. The one that says, you
can’t be too careful, and an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Although
we didn’t speak about it, the child knew he was in the unfortunate position of
being a person with a cold in the Age of Covid-19. Usually engaged, he was shy
and embarrassed, and bolted when it was time to leave.
Going
forward, there will be more kids like him, as cold and flu season runs its
course alongside the pandemic. And in part because Covid-19 symptoms differ
wildly from person to person, and can mimic everything from the flu to a cold
to other illnesses, it’s easy to understand how parents will be on edge,
wondering if they should keep a child home, isolate them from siblings or take
them to the doctor.
Writing
for Popsugar, and taking her info from a Harvard study,
Karen Schweitzer has some
helpful tips for parents. “If your child has a fever,” she writes, “they should
stay home. Chances are high that it is not the coronavirus, but they are still
contagious. Many schools and pediatric offices are recommending that children
with a persistent cough or runny nose should remain at home as well. Although
that might seem more extreme — what preschooler isn't a boogery mess most
days?! — it's simply an added step to mitigating risk.”
READ MORE: Covid-19 vaccine: a guide for parents
Dr. Claire
McCarthy, MD, a primary care pediatrician who is also a professor at Harvard
University, also has some practical, empathetic advice: “Not only is staying
home and resting the best way to get better, but also you don't want to panic
others by having your child cough in their child's face.”
The big
question, of course, is: under what circumstances do I take my child to the
doctor? Here’s a list:
- any
trouble breathing (rapid or heavy breathing, sucking in around the neck or
ribs)
- a severe cough that won't stop or that interferes
with sleep or play
- a high fever that won't come
down even with medication
- unusual sleepiness
- any signs of dehydration
(refusal to take fluids, dry mouth, not urinating at least every six
hours, no tears when crying)
Also:
“Covid toes,” where they are purple, blue, or there are red lesions appearing
on patients' toes. Oddly, health experts now believe this may be a way to
diagnose the infection, as they have appeared in otherwise asymptomatic and
severe cases alike.
Schweitzer
emphasizes that Covid-19 in children is still remarkably rare. Nevertheless,
good information from reliable sources is key to mitigating at least some
anxieties, and we’ll take whatever we can get in that department.
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