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Tips To Treat Covid Positive Children At Home!

Tips To Treat Covid Positive Children At Home!

Tips To Treat Covid Positive Children At Home!

Being a parent is challenging, especially during the second wave of COVID-19, as the widespread infection has led to more children getting infected. In this article, we will learn about how you can take care of your COVID-19 positive child, necessary precautions and best practices to help keep safe.  

Since most of the COVID-19 cases in children are asymptomatic or mild, it’s best to take care of them at your own house with necessary precautions. If the symptoms aggravate, get them into a hospital that treats COVID-19 positive children. In most cases, you will be able to manage your child by consulting a paediatrician on the phone or through the web; this can help minimise the spread by limiting visits to public spaces.

Whenever you feel unsure about the information you come across regarding Covid, contact your paediatrician to reconfirm the reliability of such information. Since you are taking care of your child at home, here are a few warning signs you should look for to consult a doctor:

If your child is experiencing any or all of these, make sure to consult a medical healthcare professional at the earliest:

  • Persistent high fever for more than 5 days.
  • Drop in oxygen saturation levels below 95% 
  • Any signs of breathlessness
  • Decrease in appetite and energy levels
  • Stomach pain, vomiting and severe diarrhoea

It is important to remember that children can go through a moderately severe covid stage as well as a serious and severe case. While most moderately severe cases include lung infection, recurring fever, lower oxygen levels and discomfort breathing, severe cases present with a number of symptoms-

  • Failure of multiple organs
  • Drop in blood pressure
  • Clot formation or Thrombosis
  • Infection of the blood
  • Seizures
  • Respiratory discomfort/ infection
  • Extreme breathlessness accompanied by low oxygen levels

It is important to know that the symptoms of the covid virus and other flu/ bacterial infections can be similar and hard to differentiate between, which is why testing is essential for a proper diagnosis. Once you eliminate the possibility of covid infection, doctors can suggest what medication to give and how to treat the condition.

Tips for treating your covid-positive child:

  • Considering that your child is showing mild or no symptoms of covid and has still tested positive, consult a paediatrician virtually to minimise contact with the contaminated environment. This can also help in reducing the risk of community transmission.
  • Don’t blindly trust the information on the internet; recheck with information on an authorised and trusted website or source, like WHO and consult your paediatrician.
  • If your child looks like he/she is in a lot of discomfort or if you feel like you are unable to provide relief despite your efforts, admit them to a hospital that accepts and treats covid positive children.
  • Maintain complete isolation for covid positive children with no symptoms, basic medication advised by doctors should help remedy the effects of mild symptoms like cold, fever or body aches.
  • Make sure to give your child ample amounts of fluids to keep hydrated, boost immunity with concoctions made out of herbs and spices.
  • To ensure that the virus is properly contained, cut off immediate contact of your child with elderly members of the family or anyone with an underlying disease/low immunity.
  • Even while taking care of your covid positive child at home, it is important to watch out and monitor any symptoms or signs that indicate progression of the viral infection. A fever that goes away on the 2nd or 3rd day might reemerge on the 9th day, leading to a mild, severe stage of covid. Breathlessness, low appetite and stomach related issues can indicate the need to consult a doctor or admit your child to the hospital.
  • Try to feed your child small portioned meals regularly through the day; soft and easy to eat and digest food is advisable.
  • Temperature and oxygen saturation level must constantly be monitored at home with the help of a thermometer and oximeter.
  • Do not administer any medication without consulting any doctor. 

It is vital to understand that children can feel physically fine but mentally scared and anxious regarding the infection; it should be your prerogative to calm them down and explain to them how the covid virus is similar to that of a cold or fever, and how the majority of the cases are mild or asymptomatic. Being mentally strong, practising breathing exercises, reading/watching something should help take their mind off from things and can help them cope faster!

Ankura Hospital
Author: Ankura Hospital

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