I just received an email from my sons pediatricians office...
Coronavirus Information: Please Read
As you have likely heard, a new strain of a coronavirus known as "Coronavirus Disease 2019" or "COVID-19", was recently identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Most coronaviruses are known for causing the common cold and after becoming infected, one would simply recover in a few days once the illness ran its course. As COVID-19 is new, we have limited information about it and the situation is rapidly changing. So far, we do know that like the common cold, it causes a mild respiratory illness in most people, but it can be more serious and cause pneumonia. This is similar to when one gets a cold or the flu. Generally healthy people get over a cold or influenza, but these infections could also lead to a more serious illness.
The virus spreads person to person through respiratory droplets. Symptoms include
fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms are body aches, chills, diarrhea, headache, runny nose, and sore throat.
To reduce your risk of any infection, we recommend the same precautions as those for avoiding the common cold and flu:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
There are three categories of patients who meet the criteria for a patient under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19:
- The patient has traveled to or from an affected geographical area (see link below) AND has a fever (temperature 100.4 F or greater) ALONG WITH a lower respiratory illness with a cough, shortness of breath etc.
- A person who has CLOSE CONTACT (see definition of CLOSE CONTACT below) with a laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patient.
- A person with severe acute lower respiratory illness AND fever that requires them to be hospitalized AND there are no other diagnoses, such as influenza, that would explain these symptoms.
In order to be considered at risk of COVID-19 exposure, one must have CLOSE CONTACT with a person who is a lab-test-confirmed COVID-19 or under investigation for COVID-19 while they were ill.
CLOSE CONTACT is defined as:
- HOUSEHOLD CLOSE CONTACT: Living in the same house (household contacts) with a person with confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID-19.
- OTHER CLOSE CONTACT (within 6 feet, 2 meters; touching distance) with a person with confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID-19. Examples of such CLOSE CONTACT include kissing or hugging, sharing eating or drinking utensils, carpooling, close conversation, and any other direct contact with respiratory secretions of a person with COVID-19.
The following are not considered CLOSE CONTACT exposures:
- Living in a city or town where there are one or more confirmed cases of novel COVID-19, although this increases the risk of exposure
- Being in the same school, church, workplace or building as a person with COVID-19. Exception: CLOSE CONTACT with a person infected with or suspected to be infected with COVID-19 who is symptomatic person, such as sitting next to them
- Walking by a person who has COVID-19
- CLOSE CONTACT with a person who was exposed to COVID-19 more than 14 days ago and never developed any symptoms
- Eating at a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant
- Travel to areas the CDC identifies as high risk for this infection is a much less important risk factor. Testing is only indicated if this patient also develops BOTH fever and cough. Click here for the latest information.
Currently, testing is not available in our office. However, if your child does not meet the criteria listed above, it is likely that they have not had a true exposure to COVID-19 and testing is not indicated.
If your child does meet the criteria above including having a fever and cough or shortness of breath:
- Seek medical care right away. Before you come to one of our locations or visit an emergency room, call ahead to discuss your recent travel and symptoms.
- Tell your health care provider and their staff immediately if you have returned from visiting China, Iran, Japan, Italy, South Korea or any area designated as high risk by the CDC in the past 2 weeks.
- After you have been seen by a medical provider, stay home and avoid contact with others until you are well.
- Avoid travel on public transportation (such as bus, train, subway, metro, or airplane).
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Perhaps just as important as the clinical response is the way we handle the news of the virus with our children. Below are some healthy recommendations from Psychology Today.
- Ask what your child already knows about the coronavirus. You may need to deal with rumors and misconceptions.
- Listen to your child and let him or her express how he or she feels. Do not minimize your child’s emotions.
- Calmly and briefly explain the facts to your children. Do not lie to them, but do not give them more information than they need in order to understand. You can give your children a sense of control by discussing what they can do to protect themselves such as hand washing.
- Assure your children that they are safe right now and discuss your plan on how your family will do their best to stay that way.
- Limit exposure to television or news sources as they will cause your child to believe the threat is more serious than it is and undue stress.
- Keep routines and schedules the same unless asked to change something by your government officials or school district. Consistency and routine are signals to your child that things are fine and “normal".
Information adapted from Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines, Psychology Today and the CDC.
