What to do if your child is diagnosed with the virus
How to protect yourself when caring for a child who is sick with the virus
Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, says kids are at risk of contracting and spreading COVID -19, and while most recover without issues, parents shouldn’t assume all kids will be just fine.
Rasmussen emphasizes that even if the child doesn’t get very ill, they can transmit the virus to others. “This is especially true for the close contacts with whom they spend significant time indoors — such as members of their household.”
As kids re-enter social settings, it’s important to teach them to protect themselves, to reduce the risk of them bringing the virus back to their parents, says Kristin Moffitt, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital.
If they get sick, there are some simple preventive measures you can take to try to minimize the chances of another family member getting infected.
Monica Gri, of Houston, recently decided to send her children, ages seven months and four years, back to daycare. Her husband is immunocompromised, but she doesn’t feel that she has another option. “In a perfect world, we’d all stay sheltered inside and safe from all germs, but we tried that for two months and it just wasn’t sustainable with both of us working,” she says. “I don’t allow (our four-yearold) to touch anything after school. When I pick her up, she covers her hands and arms in hand sanitizer. When we get home, it’s literally straight to the bath. The baby follows. Their clothes go in the wash immediately.”
Moffitt says to plan ahead for possible illness. Stock up on essentials, including over-the-counter fever medications, a humidifier, bleach or other recommended cleaning supplies, hand soap, face coverings and some extra groceries, in case someone gets sick. Parents should also consider designating a point person outside the home who can bring in supplies if the family has to quarantine.
Rasmussen notes the best way to avoid spreading the virus is to separate the child from the rest of the household, but this isn’t always practical — particularly for young children.
In those cases, Moffitt says, families will need to be creative. Children should sleep in a bedroom alone, even if it means rearranging sleeping quarters. If co-sleeping or room-sharing must occur, she suggests sleeping head to toe if children are old enough or rearranging furniture to reduce transmission. Good ventilation is key, because droplets could linger in stagnant air. Moffitt recommends opening windows and using fans.
Designate one adult, ideally one who is not in a high-risk population, to monitor and interact with the sick child, but even that person should keep contact to a minimum. If the child’s typical caretakers are high-risk, consider enlisting the help of other community members. If possible, both the child and the caretaker should wear masks. Moffitt says that caregivers can continue nursing if children rely on it for comfort or nutrition. In this case, the adult should wear a mask and carefully wash their skin — including the chest and nipples in addition to hands — with soap and water after each encounter. Bottles used to feed babies should be sterilized after use.
Rachel Feichter of Washington, D.C., had a teen with COVID-19, but she managed to keep it from spreading throughout the house. Her younger child is on chemotherapy and immunosuppressants for an autoimmune disease, so their family is often on high alert during cold and flu season.
As soon as Feichter’s teen showed symptoms, she isolated her from other household members. Her daughter would shout when she was leaving her bedroom to go to the bathroom and everyone moved to a different area of the house while she came out of her quarantined space. Each time her daughter used the bathroom, she wore a mask and gloves, then Feichter immediately decontaminated that space and other surfaces her sick child might have touched or breathed on, while wearing a mask and gloves. She also wiped door handles and kitchen surfaces at least twice per day and maintained six feet of distance when caring for her child.
“There’s no magic secret to it,” Feichter says. “You just try your best and stay diligent as a family for a few weeks.”
Parents of younger children may have to explain why the precautions are so important. “Teach them why they’re separated and use age-appropriate language to explain the illness,” Moffitt says. “Use toys or videos to show how germs are passed from one person to another who is too close and demonstrate which distances are safest.” If a child must be held, caregivers should use personal protective equipment and wash regularly.