As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, it is essential for parents to be aware of potential symptoms that might indicate a child has contracted the virus and needs additional medical attention. While it is an unfortunate reality that children may contract COVID-19, monitoring their health closely can help in seeking out proper medical care as soon as possible. <\/p>\n
Fever: One of the more common signs to monitor when seeking out potential cases of COVID-19 in your kid is fever. Even if a fever may not seem extreme, monitoring it closely enough can help you identify any slight changes and take action, such as seeking further medical attention. <\/p>\n
Coughing: A cough, either dry or productive (accompanied by phlegm), is another symptom related to COVID-19, although it may not necessarily signal infection with this virus. Seek medical assistance immediately if your child has any form of coughing that persists over several days. <\/p>\n
Lethargy\/fatigue: Loss of energy or interest in activities paired with extreme exhaustion are indicative of potentially contracting this virus. If your child appears unusually tired and exhausted without having had excessive physical activity recently or at all, it\u2019s best to reach out for professional support sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n
Shortness of breath: Difficulty breathing can be a worrying sign and one that could indicate COVID-19 infection in children. Contact your doctor if your child<\/a> experiences any sort of discomfort while breathing or is having difficulty taking deep breaths normally. <\/p>\n Difficulty swallowing: More rare than other symptoms on this list but still important to mention \u2014 encountering difficulty while trying to swallow food or liquids can be an indication that there\u2019s an issue present and requires evaluation by a doctor immediately. <\/p>\n Other indicators such as loss\/change of appetite, rash\/acne like symptoms appearing on the face\/body area, vomiting\/diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours should also receive medical attention when<\/p>\n If your child is experiencing a medical emergency, calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room is always the right choice. But when you\u2019re not sure if it\u2019s an emergency, knowing when it\u2019s appropriate to take your child to the ER can be difficult and stressful. <\/p>\n Understandably so, as most parents want to err on the side of caution and make sure their child<\/a> gets any necessary medical attention as soon as possible. To better understand when you should take your child to the ER, here are five signs that indicate your little one needs urgent care: <\/p>\n 1. Fever: If your toddler has a fever above 104\u00b0F (40\u00b0C), you should seek immediate medical help. In children under three months old, a fever of 100.4\u00b0F (38\u00b0C) is cause for concern and requires prompt evaluation from a doctor or nurse practitioner in an urgent care<\/a> setting. <\/p>\n 2. Persistent Vomiting\/Diarrhea: Children can become easily dehydrated after a bout of vomiting or diarrhea so monitoring fluid intake closely is important. If they have frequent bouts this may be a sign that something more serious could be going on and further medical assessment is required in an urgent care<\/a> setting or ER depending on severity of symptoms. <\/p>\n 3. Difficulty Breathing: If you notice your child having difficulty catching his breath, seek immediate medical help either through calling 911 or going directly to the ER depending on severity of symptoms; even if only minor trouble with breathing occurs also get them checked out by a pediatrician as soon as possible . <\/p>\n 4. Severe Allergic Reaction: Anaphylaxis can occur at any time \u2014 even in babies \u2014particularly due to food allergies<\/a> and insect stings\/bites etc.. If your baby exhibits sudden swelling around the face or neck (severely swollen lips\/tongue) accompanied by difficulty breathing, this could be an indication that he\/she is having<\/p>\n Visiting the ER with a child experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can be an intimidating experience. The unexpectedness of the visit, combined with worries about your child\u2019s condition, can leave you feeling confused and vulnerable. It is important to remember that both you and your child are in good hands when visiting the ER. Medical staff have extensive experience dealing with COVID-19 symptoms, so rest assured they will do their best to make the situation as comfortable as possible for you both. <\/p>\n When it comes to visiting the ER with a child experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, there are a few key points to keep in mind: <\/p>\n Firstly, ensure you take any documentation deemed necessary by your healthcare provider (e.g., a written Covid-19 notification from the school or other social setting). Sometimes multiple documents may be required depending on where you live \u2014 for example, if another family member was found to have tested positive for Covid-19 at home \u2014 so check<\/a> what paperwork is needed ahead of time. <\/p>\n Secondly, don\u2019t be afraid to speak up and ask questions before any tests or treatments get underway; this is especially important when it comes to children<\/a> who may not feel comfortable expressing their own concerns or anxieties. You know your child best and need to feel comfortable that they are getting the care they need and deserve. <\/p>\n Thirdly, prepare yourself mentally and practically for potential delays; even if things seem straightforward it\u2019s common knowledge that visits involving children tend to take longer than adult visits due to additional safety protocols and extra checkups being conducted. Don\u2019t let this put you off though – medical staff will always take great care in tending too their smaller patients! <\/p>\n Finally look after yourself – allow plenty of time for travel to and from the hospital (traffic build up during peak times can get very congested), bring snacks & drinks if appropriate (especially if there will be a long wait<\/p>\n We know that it can be incredibly frightening when your child exhibits any symptoms of COVID-19 and you\u2019re unsure what to do. The following FAQs are designed to help provide some guidance on this topic and provide reassurance relating to the steps you may need to take in the event of a potential COVID-19 diagnosis. <\/p>\n Q: What should I do if my child is showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19?<\/p>\n A: In severe cases, if your child is exhibiting severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing, is unresponsive, or has other unusual behavior changes considered critical warning signs indicating serious illness \u2013 it is advisible to seek immediate medical attention. Otherwise, contact your healthcare provider\u2019s office or local urgent care<\/a> center for further evaluation over the phone before taking them in to see a provider in person. <\/p>\n Q: If the healthcare provider advises me to go to the ER with my child what can I expect<\/a>? <\/p>\n A: Depending on age and prevailing regulations, each hospital has its own procedures for allowing visitors in their emergency rooms and medical services areas. Generally speaking however, most hospitals only allow one adult visitor per patient at a time as part of efforts to reduce outside contact and adhere with social distancing guidelines. Any additional visitors may be asked by hospital staff to wait outside until after the primary caregiver has been fully apprised concerning the situation and any necessary follow up plans have been established. <\/p>\n Q: Will my family members be allowed into an isolation unit with our child<\/a> if they test positive for Covid-19? <\/p>\n A: Unfortunately this will depend upon local regulations related to hospital visitation policies as well as state mandated quarantine instructions which may differ from location throughout the US. Your best bet is too call ahead for information regarding available resources as soon as possible before traveling so that you are aware of specific expectations should you end up needing specialized Covid 19 care for your family member(s).<\/p>\n It is a fact of life that sometimes accidents and unforeseen health problems happen and require urgent medical attention. No one ever wants to be confronted with such circumstances, especially when a child is involved<\/a>. Unfortunately in these situations, the Emergency Room (ER) is often the best place for both you as a parent and your child to receive the necessary help from highly trained professionals. <\/p>\n Fortunately, there are some steps you can take in advance to prepare yourself and your child so the visit to the ER hopefully won’t be quite so stressful for everyone involved.<\/p>\n Firstly, it is important to call ahead before heading off to the ER to make sure that they have excess capacity since waiting times can vary depending on various factors such as local holidays or peak hours of operation. Calling ahead also allows you to explain what has happened or what symptoms are present so that medical staff can do their best to ensure they have appropriate resources available when you get there. <\/p>\n Secondly, make sure that both you and your child are dressed comfortably; if possible opt for loose fitting clothing and sensible footwear since this will likely be more comfortable whilst being treated at the emergency room. If easily accessible, bring along any medications or prescriptions currently being taken along with dosage information as well as any measurable tidbits related to relevant health information about your family such as allergies etc. <\/p>\n Thirdly, it may serve both you and your child well by sending them along with some form of distraction such as an iPod Touch loaded up with music\/games or even just books\/movies if technology isn\u2019t an option (those foam-puzzle boards can come in quite handy here). This will help keep them calm during long spells of wait time while providing some structure should they become anxious due contact with people outside their immediate family circle. On top of this, provide them \u2013 either spiritually or otherwise \u2013 with words of courage: let them know that whatever happens everything will be ok in the end if only by trying instilling<\/p>\n 1. If your child experiences symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as a fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, then it is important to get them checked out and the emergency room is the best place for that. It is best to err on the side of caution when evaluating your child<\/a>‘s health, particularly in regards to COVID-19. <\/p>\n 2. Be sure to be honest with medical staff about any symptoms you or anyone else in your home may be experiencing so they can give an accurate assessment of what might be happening with your child<\/a>. Also make sure you provide information<\/a> about travel during last few days as well as about family members who may have been exposed or have tested positive for COVID-19. <\/p>\n 3. When taking your child to the ER prepare yourself and remind yourself there will be safety protocols in place like mask wearing and social distancing when entering hospital premises which are designed to keep both the patient and the medical staff safe at all times. <\/p>\n 4. It\u2019s also important to ask questions when appropriate such as asking if certain test results need additional care or tests before discharge from the facility or inquiring what type of treatment should be done outside of hospital setting before bringing it up themselves so you are always informed and prepared regarding options available for your child\u2019s medical care. <\/p>\n 5. Most importantly some hospitals provide telehealth services during COVID-19 so inquire ahead of time if this service is offered where you live since it might provide convenience by reducing the virus exposure risk related to physically visiting healthcare facilities while getting information necessary for understanding<\/a> and treating condition at hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Symptoms to Monitor in Children with Potential COVID-19 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, it is essential for parents to be aware of potential symptoms that might indicate a child has contracted the virus and needs additional medical attention. While it is an unfortunate reality that children may contract COVID-19, monitoring their health closely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[44],"class_list":["post-670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-gr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sierrapeds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}When Should You Take Your Child to the ER?<\/h2>\n
What to Expect When Taking a Child to the ER for COVID-19 Symptoms<\/h2>\n
FAQs About Taking a Child to the ER for COVID-19<\/h2>\n
Tips To Prepare Yourself and Your Child Before Going to the ER<\/h2>\n
Top 5 Facts You Should Know About Taking a Child to the ER for COVID-19<\/h2>\n