Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update:
Coronavirusor COVID-19, has caused a lot of fear for people worldwide. It’s all over your news feeds and is what everyone is talking about at school and work. It can be easy to give into fear and panic when presented with the overwhelming number and volume of opinions and the large amount of uncertainty about how many people it will affect worldwide.
Caring for kids with viruses is not new to us. We at Shawnee Mission Pediatrics have been following this pandemic and after reading numerous articles and conferring with colleagues, here’s a short list of things you need to know for all viruses, especially COVID-19.
Take home points:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol based hand sanitizer.
- Keep your kids away from sick people and keep them home if they are sick.
- Teach kids to cough into their arm or elbow, not their hands.
- Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces in your home.
- Avoid unnecessary travel to areas of greatest risk until outbreak has passed.
- DO NOT PANIC. It might help to turn the news off, especially around your children as some kids are already anxious about this virus.
- Do not rush to the doctor or emergency room for a coronavirus test. Very few patients meet the specific criteria for testing and for now that is done by the CDC. We cannot test for coronavirus in our office.
- Many who will get the coronavirus won’t even know that they have it, but certain populations such as the elderly or immunocompromised are at risk for complications, similar to the flu or other viral illnesses. Consider avoiding these people when you or your child is sick.
- Get your information from reputable sources of medical information like the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control.
- There is no vaccine or medicine for this virus yet.
Some good articles for parents:
A good video for kids (and parents!):
https://www.brainpop.com/…/diseasesinjuriesandc…/coronavirus