Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak

The symptoms of COVID-19 are different for everyone but may include:

• fever
• sore throat
• cough
• shortness of breath
• fatigue
• body aches
• loss of taste and/or smell

For some people, the symptoms may feel like a bad cold or flu. Others, especially adults with other health conditions, may have severe respiratory symptoms that could progress to pneumonia. Some patients require hospitalization and breathing assistance.

In addition, if your child exhibits any of the symptoms that could be related to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (see below), always call your pediatrician.

The majority of children with COVID-19 tend to have milder symptoms. However, there have recently been some reports of a rare but serious illnesses in children called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This illness looks similar to a syndrome called Kawasaki disease and is believed to be related to COVID-19.

To help slow the spread, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is asking everyone to take some important steps, including:

• Stay home: The governors of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and many other states have called on all residents who are not essential workers (such as people working in hospitals, pharmacies, and grocery stores) to stay at home, working and participating in school remotely. State websites have specific information on who are essential and non-essential workers.
  
  
• Practice physical distancing: If you must leave your house, it’s important to stay six feet or more away from others to minimize the spread of germs.
  
  
• Cover your mouth and nose: The CDC is now recommending people use a cloth face covering over their mouth and nose if they go out in public at all and effective April 17th the governor of New York began requiring people to wear face coverings. This is important since not everyone with COVID-19 has symptoms. As a result, some people who don’t feel sick may still carry the germs and spread them to others through droplets released into the air. Correct and consistent mask use is a critical step everyone can take to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19. Masks work best when everyone wears them, but not all masks provide the same protection. When choosing a mask, look at how well it fits, how well it filters the air, and how many layers it has. Learn more about improving how your mask protects you. 
  
  
• Act preventively by following proper hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene. Also, avoid touching your face.  

The new coronavirus outbreak is a rapidly changing situation. The CDC COVID-19 website offers the most up-to-date information.

The New York State Health Department website also has state-specific information about COVID-19 and links to many helpful resources for families. For specific questions about your child, contact your doctor's office.

During this challenging time, children and parents may be feeling a lot of stress. Learn how to cope with the stresses caused by changes to your daily routine, worries about your health and well-being, and worries about the health of family members. Learn more here!

Want to learn more about COVID-19? Watch a recording of one of our free parent webinar sessions!

• COVID-19 - Information for Parents (from May 13, 2020)

• COVID-19 - Information for Parents #2 (from June 11, 2020)

• Mental Health (from July 7, 2020)

• Staying Healthy this Fall (from August 31, 2020)

• Healthy Holiday Season (from November 11, 2020)

• Healthy 2021 & Vaccine Information (from February 3, 2021)

• Tips for a Healthy Spring (from May 19, 2021)

Many families would like to know if their child has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. Antibody testing, also called serology testing, is a simple blood test that can determine if antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are present in the blood. Antibodies develop usually weeks after the body has been exposed to the virus so antibody testing is not a test for active infection.

Although antibody tests are currently available through many commercial laboratories, at this time BCHP does not recommend routine antibody testing for all patients. There are a number of reasons for this decision, including:

• Since COVID-19 is such a new illness, we don’t yet know if the antibodies will protect a child from getting COVID-19 again. For some illnesses, antibodies offer life-long protection, however, in other cases, antibodies offer only limited protection, or even no protection, against future infection.
• If the antibodies do offer protection, it is also unknown how long that protection will last.
• There are many misleading results from antibody tests for COVID-19. A negative test does not rule out past infection, and a positive test does not mean that a child is immune to COVID-19. Essentially, neither a positive test or a negative test will change behavior recommendations.