“Is coronavirus dangerous to toddlers?”
I have a 14 month old baby. I want to know is coronavirus dangerous to toddlers?
4 Answers
Hi,
Most of the younger kids have flu-like symptoms, like fevers for 2-3 days, runny nose, fussiness, cough, etc. However, sometime kids may develop systemic disease and have shortness of breath, rash, and difficulty breathing. If the child if doing well with fluids, like Pedialyte, water, and antipyretics, fever reducers, they usually turn a corner after 4-5 days of illness.
Most of the younger kids have flu-like symptoms, like fevers for 2-3 days, runny nose, fussiness, cough, etc. However, sometime kids may develop systemic disease and have shortness of breath, rash, and difficulty breathing. If the child if doing well with fluids, like Pedialyte, water, and antipyretics, fever reducers, they usually turn a corner after 4-5 days of illness.
It is less severe in children, but a small percentage develop the Multisystem Inflammatory Disease Syndrome, a very severe illness attacking multiple organs. Infected children also are contagious to adults, with possible severe consequences.
Thanks for the question. Please wear masks and distance yourself and your children outside the home. Protect your family and friends.
Thanks for the question. Please wear masks and distance yourself and your children outside the home. Protect your family and friends.
Kids and toddlers may have runny noses, coughs and fevers. They also may have stomach symptoms such as diarrhea. You should also be aware of a rare and sometimes-deadly inflammatory condition that strikes children and appears to be connected COVID-19. Called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C, the condition has symptoms which include fevers, low blood pressure, rashes, red eyes, stomach upset, and inflammation of the heart and its arteries. Some of these symptoms overlap with toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease, which is one of the leading causes of heart disease in children. If your child's fever lasts for more than 2 days, if your child develops any of the other symptoms mentioned, or if you’re worried, contact your doctor.
Generally, it is not. Most toddlers do very well and only have minor symptoms like those of a common cold and then they get better. It poses a much bigger risk to older people and those who are immunosuppressed. There is an post-infectious inflammatory condition known as MIS-C that can occur in children; it follows the viral infection by a few weeks and it looks a lot like Kawasaki Disease (fever, rash, conjunctivitis, dry lips, etc.), but this has been seen mostly in school-aged children and not so much in toddlers. You should obviously try to protect your toddler from getting infected, and yourself, as well, but generally speaking, toddlers have done very well.
Randall Fisher, M.D.
Randall Fisher, M.D.
