South Tidewater News

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters recently issued the following announcement.

A child’s cough, sniffle, or sore throat can trigger warning signals in any parent’s head:

COVID-19? Flu? Allergies? A simple cold?

Wintertime is the prime season for viruses, because people gather inside to keep warm. If you think your child is sick with a virus like COVID-19 or the flu, it’s important that they stay home to keep from spreading the virus to others.

Some children can recover just fine at home with rest, lots of fluids, and over-the-counter pain or fever reducers. As a parent, trust your instinct as to whether you need to seek medical care for your child. If you are uncertain, call your pediatrician for advice as to whether to treat your child at home, have a telehealth or in-person doctor’s visit, or seek immediate care.

Call 911 if your child is struggling to breathe, is too out of breath to talk or walk, turns blue, or has fainted.

COVID-19 or the flu?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the flu and COVID-19 share many similar symptoms:

• Fever or feeling feverish/having chills.
• Cough.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
• Fatigue (tiredness).
• Sore throat.
• Runny or stuffy nose.
• Muscle pain or body aches.
• Headache.
• Vomiting and diarrhea.

Loss of taste and smell is more common with COVID-19 than the flu.

How viruses spread

Flu and COVID-19 are spread similarly. They’re transmitted by small particles that come from the nose and mouth when kids sneeze, cough, sing, or talk, raising the possibility of infecting those nearby. Infected people may not have symptoms, but can still pass along the virus.

Another similarity is that both viruses can be spread before your child starts feeling symptoms.

Someone with flu usually experiences symptoms one to four days after being infected. A person with COVID-19 typically shows symptoms two to 14 days after exposure.

Most children who have the flu experience a rapid onset of symptoms and start to feel sick with a fever, cough, and runny nose for several days. Children with COVID-19 may not have any symptoms or may have a fever for a short period of time accompanied by congestion, a cough, and fatigue.

Prevention

Many of the same precautions to protect against COVID-19 work for other viruses as well:

• Masking.
• Maintaining social distance.
• Washing hands frequently.
• Staying home when sick.
• Getting your children vaccinated to protect them from the flu and COVID-19. Kids 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine. Children who are 5 years and older should get a COVID-19 vaccine, and kids 12 and older should also get a booster dose.

Original source can be found here.