'CO' stands for 'corona,' 'VI' for 'virus,' and 'D' for disease. And 19, because it is a new or novel (never seen in humans before) coronavirus
that was first identified as the cause of the outbreak in Wuhan, China in late 2019.
So far COVID-19 is known to spread from person to person through respiratory droplets with close contact (thought of as less than 6 ft). Respiratory droplets are produced when we cough, sneeze, and even talk, and therefore, an infected person can transfer these droplets into the air where they can then land into another person's mouth, nose and even eyes. These droplets which contain the infection can then later enter into the lungs and create illness and even death.
Although adults make up the majority of the known cases to date, children can, I repeat can become infected. Most of the cases in children have been mild or equivocal to that of a Flu infection; however, there are several children hospitalized and even known to develop a secondary illness called MIS-C or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Most kids infected with the coronavirus or COVID-19 will have some or all of the following symptoms similar to adults: fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, body aches, loss of taste, loss of smell, and fatigue.
This is a condition that causes inflammation of various organs of the body including: the heart, lungs, skin, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, brain, and even eyes after contracting COVID-19. Symptoms of MIS-C include: fever, rash, bloodshot/red eyes, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and extreme fatigue. Signs of emergency as it relates to this disease include: difficulty breathing, lethargy or difficulty arousing, change in behavior or confusion, or severe chest pain. There is still lots to learn and understand about MIS-C and therefore the medical community does not know why some kids are affected by this syndrome and others aren't, so it is extremely important to take all proper precautions when trying to protect our children.
Everyone including children >2 years of age should be wearing a face mask that properly covers the nose and mouth when in public places, this most definitely will include school when time comes to return. Maintain safe distances when outside of the home, ideally 6 ft. Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick or confirmed to have COVID-19. Wash hands often throughout the day making sure to interlock between fingers for 20 seconds. Avoid public places where large crowds can gather or where it is difficult to maintain safe distances.
For accuracy most testing centers are conducting a nasopharyngeal swab for viral testing which can take anywhere from 1-5 days to yield a result; therefore, immediately after testing it is important to remain quarantined. Antibodies are proteins that the body produces in the blood in response to exposure to an illness; these antibodies can later help to fight off infections. However, antibody testing (via blood draw), unlike viral testing, can only determine if there was a previous exposure and/or infection, and many of these tests are highly inaccurate and therefore not routinely conducted or recommended. Furthermore, we do not know how long the immunity will last even if there are positive antibodies, and if they will truly prevent a person from having symptoms. Finally, it's important to know that tests may be negative if a person is tested too early, which means a person can test positive later on after a negative test was yielded.
There is no cure or vaccine for COVID-19 as yet and therefore treatment is only supportive measures, even in the hospital and intensive care units, until the body clears the virus on its own. Currently if a child is infected parents will need to treat fever as it comes and keep the child comfortable and well hydrated. In the hospital supplemental oxygen, fever reducers, and IV fluids are just a few treatment measures given to support the child while the body recovers.
