The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted every fabric of our society. Children who make up 5% of those tested positive are returning to school in some part of the world this school year. With school reopening do you know what symptoms to look for to screen your child?

Children are expected to have more or less the same symptoms as COVID 19 positive adults. These symptoms usually appear 2-14 days after contact with the virus:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

However, some people may experience other symptoms not listed here.

For children, the more severe form of COVID19 is multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).  MISC is very rare but is manageable.

How can you protect your child?

1. By following physical distancing and hygiene recommendations.
2. Perform daily screen of your child for COVID 19 symptoms.
3. Keep your child home if they are unwell
4. Have your family tested as soon as you suspect exposure or a family member is ill

You can now download our COVID19 daily screening sheet to help you keep an eye on your family’s health

References:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/children/mis-c.html
2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html