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With kids heading back to school after closures as a result of the pandemic, many parents are worried about the effect of COVID19 on their children. And as fall draws in and the summer months end, it might be harder to tell the difference between coronavirus and a regular cold if your child displays symptoms like a cough. With kids back and school and spending more time with their friends, it’s important for parents to be vigilant and stay alert for the key symptoms of COVID19. The good news is that there are fewer reported cases of the virus in children and most kids who’ve had it have fully recovered. If infected, children tend to show milder symptoms than adults. What are the main symptoms that you should be looking out for in your kids?
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High Temperature:
Running a fever tends to be one of the first telltale signs of COVID19. If your child is complaining of feeling warmer than usual, or they tell you that they feel cold but they are hot to touch, it’s a wise idea to get them tested for COVID19 as soon as possible. Of course, there are several other reasons why your child may have a fever, including the flu and infections, so it’s not always a major cause for concern.
Continuous Cough:
A new, continuous cough is another key symptom of COVID19. This means that your child will be coughing a lot – typically, coughing repeatedly for more than an hour or experiencing at least three coughing episodes in 24 hours. If there’s no other reason why your child may have a dry cough and they have only recently started coughing, testing for COVID should be done.
Loss of Senses:
The kids’ risk for COVID is typically lower than adults and many kids who catch this virus show milder symptoms, such as a loss of their sense of smell or taste. If your child is complaining about no longer being able to taste their food or things tasting or smelling differently to normal, it could be a sign that they have COVID19. Remember to self-isolate with your family as even if your child is only showing milder coronavirus symptoms, they could be highly contagious to others.
Fatigue:
Another common symptom of COVID19 is fatigue, which is an overall feeling of tiredness and a lack of energy. If your normally energetic, active child is suddenly wanting to sleep a lot more than usual and doesn’t have much energy to participate in their usual activities, this could be a cause for concern.
Shortness of Breath:
Finally, COVID19 can cause shortness of breath, even if your child has not been running or otherwise exerting their energy. If your child is complaining of tightness in their chest or struggling to breathe deeply, it may be a symptom of this virus.
As kids go back to school, it’s important that parents stay alert for any signs of COVID19 in their children and respond to any potential symptoms as quickly as possible.
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