How to Distinguish between the Common Cold Cough and COVID-19 in Children

VIVA – It is common for children to have coughs and colds. However, the situation is different from 2020. Because of the pandemic corona virus or COVID-19 has damaged the health of people all over the world, just hearing a child sneeze makes parents paranoid.

So, what to do if your child feels cold, has a cold, coughs, or is warm to the touch? Is this a symptom of COVID-19, or the common seasonal cold and cough?

Also Read: The COVID-19 Task Force Reminds Not All Hospital ICUs Are Full

Reporting from Times of India, Saturday, September 12, 2020, more research is needed to understand the extent of the impact of the corona virus on children. So far, medical reports and surveys point to the fact that children are largely spared from complications of the coronavirus and they rarely develop serious illnesses due to COVID-19.

However, there are also increasing reports of children developing a new pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome, which is a serious and life-threatening illness, after contracting the coronavirus. Therefore, with winter in several countries in the world and rainy season in Indonesia, which is coming, it is highly recommended to be prepared.

Can parents really tell if a child’s symptoms are COVID-19 or just the common cold? Should parents and child get tested if the child has a fever? Here are three things parents need to remember to understand the symptoms that occur in children.

Pay attention to anything that seems out of the ordinary

Unfortunately, the symptoms of the corona virus are similar to those of the flu, cough or cold. However, it’s best to watch for any symptoms that seem unusual and out of place, such as loss of smell and taste even when the nose is not blocked, diarrhea along with coughs and colds, and so on. If your child usually has a cold cough around this time, there may be nothing to worry about.

Get your child checked if they think they have been exposed to the virus

Because the corona virus can manifest itself in various ways, it is highly recommended to have a child checked, if it feels that the child has been in contact with an infected person or may have contracted the virus somehow.

Watch for symptoms of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C), or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, is a potentially life-threatening complication of a child infected with COVID-19. Since this disease has more prominent characteristics, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible. Some of the symptoms of MIS-C, the most common of which include:

1. High fever
2. Abdominal pain
3. Red eyes
4. Rash
5. Red or chapped lips
6. Swollen hands and feet
7. Unusual fatigue.

The point is, this isn’t a year to take risks. Since there is no sure way to know whether a child has only the common cold or not, it is better to be careful and ask the child to be tested for COVID-19, if he develops one or more symptoms of the disease.

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