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This month, more U.S. children have been hospitalized with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic.
However, COVID-19 continues to primarily affect adults, especially older adults. Last week saw a peak in new child hospitalizations, with 1.25 hospitalizations for every 100,000 children in the population. To put that into perspective, the adult peak, also last week, saw 21.35 new admissions per 100,000 people.
Although new hospitalizations have begun to fall in recent days, pediatric doctors understand that this is a particularly challenging time for parents of young children, especially those kids with underlying medical conditions who continue to remain at a higher risk for severe illness than their peers.
Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, said he’s been fielding a lot of parent questions lately, and took to Twitter yesterday to give his best advice on what to do if your child develops COVID-19 symptoms with this thread.
Our clinic is swamped with calls about Omicron, and nearly 1M kids are admitted nationwide with Covid. Here are some quick tips for parents for common questions we're getting. Brief 🧵 1/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
If a rapid antigen test comes back positive, he said, assume it’s COVID. And if it comes back negative, get another antigen or PCR test the next day, since false negatives are possible, especially with antigen tests taken early on in an infection.
What do you do if your child has Covid symptoms? Get tested. Rapid antigen tests are good (though not perfect).
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
If rapid antigen is positive, assume it's Covid. Isolate your child. You don't need to seek out a PCR test. 2/
If one or more children test positive while other household members remain negative, he suggests wearing masks around the house, using separate bathrooms, and having COVID positive and negative family members sleep in separate rooms, if possible.
What if your child has symptoms but a rapid antigen test is neg? This is trickier. Keep them home if you're able, continue to use high-quality masks, wash hands–the usual stuff we know prevents transmission.
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
Then, seek out a PCR test or repeat an antigen test the next day. 3/
In general, he encouraged trying to isolate from one another, but “as a dad, I know this isn’t super realistic,” he said. “So do the best you can.”
Antigen tests are proving imperfect at detecting Omicron, especially earlier in illness. Hence the need to repeat a rapid antigen test or seek out PCR testing, which is able to pick up more cases of Omicron. 4/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
Get children five and older vaccinated, Hadland said, and children 12 and up boosted, as this is the best way to prevent serious illness and hospitalizations. “…It’s critical to get kids vaccinated & keep them out of hospitals,” he said. “We want kids with emergencies (e.g., appendicitis) to have hospital beds to go to when they need them.”
What should you do if some folks in your house are Covid pos and others are neg? This is tough. Ideally, you'd isolate from one another, wear masks, wash hands, etc. As a dad, I know this isn't super realistic. So do the best you can. 5/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
While omicron has caused record numbers of pediatric hospitalizations, it’s still a relatively ‘mild’ illness in children most of the time, Hadland said.
Some tips? If you can, have Covid pos & neg kids sleep in different rooms, use different bathrooms, avoid food sharing, etc. What's tricky about Omicron is its incredibly infectious, so household contacts are just at high risk for transmission, period. 6/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
Still, he emphasized the importance of “doing our part,” as pediatricians nationwide work to keep the number of child hospitalizations low.
This household spread is another key reason to get vaccinated if 5+, and boosted if 12+. This should help spread–especially important if older adult or medical vulnerable individuals live in the house. 7/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
“Isolate if ill, get yourself & loved ones vaccinated, and let us healthcare professionals manage the broader crisis,” he said.
Is Omicron 'mild' in kids? Yes, usually, but not always. It's rare for kids who are vaccinated to get severely ill or be hospitalized because of Covid, so get kids 5+ vaccinated. Boosters in teens 12+ may also help reduce infection. 8/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
Hadland’s number one piece of advice? “Don’t panic.” Children almost always recover well, and healthcare professionals are more than happy to give advice to concerned parents of COVID-positive children.
Even if Omicron is often mild in kids, pediatricians like me are still very worried. Why? Some kids *will* have severe illness, esp if they have other medical problems and/or can't get vaccinated because they're too young or have medical contraindications to vaccination. 9/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
We're also worried about our hospitals becoming strained & overwhelmed. Here's why it's critical to get kids vaccinated & keep them out of hospitals. We want kids with emergencies (e.g., appendicitis) to have hospital beds to go to when they need them. 10/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
What's one piece of advice I'd give parents if your child gets Covid? Don't panic. Take a deep breath & rest assured your child will likely be fine. And if you 'are' worried, pediatricians & other healthcare professions are here to help & give advice. Always. ❤️ 11/
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
Please do your part: Isolate if ill, get yourself & loved ones vaccinated, and let us healthcare professionals manage the broader crisis. Many of us are tired, but we will keep showing up for you because of the oath we took. ❤️ 12/12
— Scott Hadland, MD (@DrScottHadland) January 21, 2022
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