Covid Symptoms In Kids: Learn How To Keep Your Child Safe
The outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted everyone worldwide. Even after two years, the coronavirus variants – notably the highly infectious ones – continue to rise, which has led to widespread concern and panic among people. While the majority of infections have been occurring in adults, children are also getting infected by it, especially the toddlers or newborns who are not yet vaccinated. Although the COVID symptoms in kids and babies are milder than those in adults, and sometimes they experience no symptoms at all, some have gotten very sick from the virus. There are a few cases where children get infected and develop a serious lung infection. This is why it becomes vital for parents to be aware of the symptoms and protect their kids from getting infected.
COVID Symptoms In Kids
Generally, the symptoms of COVID in kids are very few compared to adults. But still, they exist. So, here are some of the common symptoms and signs that show that your child might be suffering from COVID-19.
- Fever
- Cough that becomes productive
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Loss of taste or smell
- Changes or discoloration in the skin
- Sore throat
- Nausea, vomiting, belly pain, or diarrhea
- Experiencing chills
- Muscle aches and pain
- Extreme fatigue
- Severe headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nasal congestion
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- Rashes
What To Do If A Child Has COVID Symptoms?
The above stated are some of the common COVID symptoms in kids. However, it is essential to note that these signs are very similar to the symptoms of other illnesses, such as cold and flu. Hence, having them doesn’t always mean it is a COVID infection. So, if you find your kid experiencing them, here are some of the steps that you can follow.
- Talk To Your Doctor: If you find any of the COVID symptoms in your kid, the first and foremost thing you need to do is reach out to a doctor. They will look into the problem and assess the severity of the condition. And if the doctor finds any history of being in contact with a COVID patient, then they may recommend getting the test done. Else, they will provide you with instructions and medications to manage the condition.
- Keep Other People And Pets Away: If you are asked to take care of your child at home, then you must ensure that you keep other individuals in your house away from your child. Along with family members, you must ensure that your pet doesn’t come closer to the kid who might have coronavirus.
- Up Your Cleanliness Game: Cleanliness is something that can prevent these symptoms of COVID in kids from getting worse. If you find any of the symptoms in your kid, you must ensure complete cleanliness. Make sure you clean everything that they touch. This will help not just the patient but also protect other members of the family from getting infected.
- Keep Track of Their Symptoms: Another thing that you must do is keep a tab on the COVID symptoms. Watch for the signs every day and if you find them getting worse or if they are showing more symptoms, talk to your doctor. This will help in getting them the right treatment at the right time.
Way To Protect Your Child From Coronavirus
Even if you feel safe, you should take all the possible precautions and understand the risk to safeguard your child from COVID-19. So, here are some of the preventive measures that every parent must follow.
1. Talk About COVID With Your Child
If you want to protect your child, be willing to talk. Being silent and keeping secrets won’t help your child and will also deter them from communicating with you openly if they feel sick or have any symptoms. So, in order to safeguard your child, talk to them, share statistics, tell them about the symptoms and precautions, and provide them the opportunity to talk to you freely.
2. Avoid Meeting People Who Are Sick
This is another crucial precautionary measure that you must take to protect your child from COVID-19. If you find anyone from your neighborhood, friends, or family is infected by the virus, then you must stay away from them till the time they get cured. You must avoid meeting sick people as it might transfer the virus and make your child fall sick. Even if you are eager to help them, do it safely or without meeting them in person.
3. Wear Mask & Maintain Distance
This is a no-brainer. Right from the beginning, it is advised to wear a mask and maintain social distance in order to protect yourself from getting infected. So, make sure that if your child is going out in public, then they must wear a mask and try to maintain a distance from people. The more people they come in contact with, the higher the chances of them getting sick.
4. Teach Them Good Hygiene
Good hygiene is of utmost importance to stay away from infectious diseases. So, being a parent, you must teach your child good habits like washing hands after coming back from outside or before eating, using a handkerchief while sneezing, and more. Along with teaching them, you must also follow healthy habits as kids learn from what they see.
Conclusion
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, we should keep on learning about it and take measures to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Especially when it comes to kids or toddlers, taking precautions becomes more important. This is why we have curated this guide. We hope that this article has answered all your questions regarding the disease. So, keep a check on these COVID symptoms in kids and make sure that you take all the measures to protect them from it.