[cnn-podcat episodeguid=136cb8b0-20ac-4f04-9c62-ad7f00f2d2ff]
(CNN) — Common colds share many symptoms with the coronavirus, so if your child gets sick as the school year progresses, it can be difficult to know right away if it’s covid-19, said CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen.
Adults get the common cold about two to three times a year, and children get it more often, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC).
Most people recover from a cold in 7 to 10 days, but it may take longer if they have a weakened immune system, the CDC noted.
Some common symptoms of Covid-19 and the common cold include a sore throat, fatigue and headache, according to Wen.
Coughing is another common symptom of both viruses, although, according to the Mayo Clinic, the covid-19 cough tends to be drier.
When children get COVID-19, they tend to have milder symptoms than adults, Wen added.
“I would encourage parents to have a high index of suspicion and definitely not send their child to school if he is not feeling well and has any symptoms that could be covid-19,” he said.
Specific symptoms of COVID-19 include loss of smell or taste, Wen said.
With some severe cases of the common cold, someone could lose their sense of smell or taste due to a stuffy nose, he explained. However, with COVID-19, the sense of smell or taste is often lost early and before nasal congestion, Wen added.
People who have contracted COVID-19 can also suffer from diarrhea and nausea or vomiting, symptoms that are never present if it is just the common cold, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Covid-19 and the common cold are also caused by different viruses. Covid-19 is contracted from SARS-CoV-2, while the common cold can result from rhinoviruses, the Mayo Clinic noted.
Test your child
If you suspect that your child has COVID-19, the most important thing is not to send him to school, Wen warned.
“I am sure that no parent would want other children in the class to become infected or for the family members of their classmates to have to close the class because their child has symptoms and may have infected others,” Wen said.
The next step Wen recommended is to have your son tested for COVID-19.
Testing is much more available than it was a year ago, he said, and parents should contact their pediatricians to learn about the options.
Wen said he expects covid-19 testing options to be localized, which means the best places to get tested change depending on where you live. In some cases, local clinics may have availability, or children may go to testing sites administered by the county health department.
Avoid doctors for mild symptoms
For children with mild symptoms of Covid-19, Wen recommended that parents think twice before going to the doctor.
“If you have mild symptoms, if it is covid or any other viral illness, you should not go to a doctor’s office unless you have spoken with your pediatrician and they ask you to go,” Wen said.
If you have symptoms, Wen said, you could pass it on to someone else by walking into the office.
Vaccinate your child
Children over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the covid-19 vaccine, and Wen recommended that parents bring their children in for the vaccine immediately.
Two more doses are needed two weeks before two-dose vaccines offer maximum protection.
For parents, vaccinating their children is “the best way to prevent your teenager from contracting COVID-19 and potentially missing school and other social activities with their friends,” Wen said.
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