The information provided on the show is for general information purposes only. If you have a health problem, medical emergency, or a general health question, you should contact a physician or other qualified health care provider for consultation, diagnosis and/or treatment. Under no circumstances should you attempt self-diagnosis or treatment based on anything you have seen on the show.It shouldn't come as a surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic isn't only affecting our lives, but also the lives of our kids. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff discussed the unique ways that the pandemic is affecting children, from symptoms to transmission, and even shared his advice for boosting their mental health.Find his advice below, and watch the video above for more from Dr. Yoni.
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN
At this point, Dr. Yoni says he is not aware of there being a different set of symptoms for children vs. adults. Just as with adults, the symptoms of COVID-19 are all over the map, from the perhaps most expected ones of fever, chills, cough or worsening of chronic cough, shortness of breath, sore throat runny nose and loss of sense of smell or taste. The more vague symptoms include headache, fatigue, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and muscle aches. There are even less common symptoms that include conjunctivitis (pink eye), dizziness, confusion, abdominal pain, and skin rashes or discoloration of fingers or toes.
TRANSMISSION IN KIDS
When it comes to COVID-19 transmission in kids, the studies really are quite mixed. While there have been some observational studies suggesting children are far less likely to become infected, others have suggested that children make up 30% of their known cases. Plus, we’re still a bit in the dark as to whether or not younger vs. older children make a difference.And while it’s certainly true that children don’t seem to develop as severe symptoms as adults, and may not contract COVID-19 as easily, a study published last week in The Lancet found that of kids with confirmed COVID-19 (which means that had symptoms serious enough for them to get tested), 62% were admitted to hospital, 8% to the ICU, 4% required mechanical ventilation and 0.7% of them died. So while less common, it’s not as if COVID-19 can’t cause serious illness in kids.
KAWASAKI DISEASE AND SYMPTOMS
Kawasaki disease is a disease of hyper inflammation that is sometimes seen in children following viral illnesses. It’s a very rare disease and it tends to occur in children younger than five. The thinking is that what Kawasaki disease represents is a delayed and unusual immune response to that prior viral infection. When it comes to COVID-19, there is a Kawasaki like illness we’re calling Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS), and it’s occurring in children, sometimes even weeks after their infection.The symptoms could appear even weeks after an infection, and given the variance in severity and presence of COVID-19 symptoms, you might not even know your child had previously been ill. PIMS symptoms most often include a persistent fever that lasts at least three days. Children may also appear lethargic (low energy); have pink eyes, a rash, swollen hands and feet, or red, swollen and cracked lips. We are also hearing reports of children complaining of severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.Without treatment, hyper inflammatory immune responses like Kawasaki disease and PIMS can cause serious health problems. However, if treated early, most children will recover fully. Of course, if you have concerns, do chat with your child’s physician.
COVID TOES
COVID toes are thought to result from a reduction of blood flow to the toes that causes bluish red or purplish lesions at the ends of the digits. They can be painful, but generally treatment is watchful waiting. It has been found in adults, but it does seem to be a condition that’s affecting primarily the young.[video_embed id='1995421']RELATED: How to teach your kids to cope with a summer of disappointments[/video_embed]
POSSIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF COVID-19
Medically, we simply don’t know whether or not COVID-19 will lead to any long term damage to children. But it’s important to remember, it’s not just the medical impact we need to consider. The psychological impact is likely to be dramatic as well. Not just from those who had COVID-19, but rather the impacts COVID-19 has had on society as a whole, including school closures and physical distancing, and also, for many, increased financial and food insecurity, increased risks of abuse, all of which are likely to have very real impacts on our children’s mental health. With time we’ll have a greater understanding of the impacts on 'Generation COVID', and it’s likely to be dramatic.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Is it possible to open schools safely? Clearly everyone wants to get the kids back to school, but we need to do so safely, both for the children and their parents and grandparents, but also for the teachers and theirs. What we know for sure from other countries is that if we simply send the kids back, it’s just a matter of time, and not a huge amount of time, before school shutdowns consequent to outbreaks tied to schools occur. Instead, let’s hope that the Ministries of Health and Education in the various provinces, will be carefully studying the outcomes of other countries over the course of the summer, and continue to study and adapt once we head back. If we don’t take the time to coordinate, study, and learn from others and our own mistakes, we’re not likely to get very far.
KIDS AND MENTAL HEALTH
It’s not just COVID-19 parents are struggling to discuss, but other scary, sad, and unjust issues as with systemic racism and the George Floyd protests, or perhaps new family struggles and strains around finance and health. Dr. Yoni's recommendation would be to have discussions with your children. Ask them what they know and what they’re confused about, and then answer truthfully and candidly. Kids aren’t stupid and they’re consuming a huge amount of information, and misinformation, from the world around them and perhaps especially social media already. Your job is to help them navigate their way through it, not to pretend it’s not happening.If able, physically distanced outdoor visits with friends is something Dr. Yoni would encourage for both mental and physical health. We need to do our best to help our kids maintain their friendships and learn social skills. That said, doing so at the expense of care to COVID-19 prevention strategies is not worth the risk to them, you, or society as a whole.[video_embed id='1994933']BEFORE YOU GO: How young is too young to get married?[/video_embed]
