01/02/2022
With COVID-19 now circulating widely in the community, you might be feeling worried about what will happen if your children contract the virus.
Canberra Health Services’ Paediatrician Dr Blessy Charles has cared for children with COVID-19 over the past six months and can provide some reassurance.
‘We’ve seen that most children who test positive for COVID-19 have only mild symptoms, such as a runny nose and fever, and recover within a couple of days. Others have no symptoms at all.’
‘Most of the children we’ve seen as COVID-19 inpatients at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children have been there to receive care while their parents were too unwell with COVID-19 to provide it, or because the children were dehydrated.’
‘Kids can get a bit fussy when they feel unwell and avoid eating and drinking. It’s always important they keep their fluids up, but especially when they are unwell.’
‘Even though the disease is typically mild in children, having a COVID-19 positive family member means being isolated at home for a few days. To prepare, you could pre-cook and freeze some simple meals and stock up on children’s Panadol or Nurofen or their equivalent. Check you have a thermometer to monitor fevers. Buy some fruit juice and icy poles to help with hydration. You may like to purchase some Hydralyte (or similar) ice blocks, too.’
‘Some signs that you may need to seek medical advice are a persistent fever which is not responding to treatment, breathlessness, reduced fluid intake, vomiting or diarrhoea.’
In these cases, you can contact the COVID Care@Home team on 5124 3085, make an appointment for a telehealth appointment with your GP, call Health Direct on 1800 022 222 or, for those over the age of two, take them to the new COVID-19 Walk-in Clinic at Garran.
The Garran clinic provides COVID-19 positive patients with support, advice and interventions in relation to COVID as well as treatment of non-life threatening injuries or illnesses such as cuts and abrasions, strains and sprains, bites and stings, infections and wounds. It is open every day from 7.30am to 10pm and no appointment is necessary.
If you are concerned your child is seriously unwell, has difficulty breathing, is severely dehydrated or fainting, please call Triple Zero (000) immediately and inform the operator that your child has COVID-19.