As we continually hear about updates regarding COVID-19 through the press, East Bay Pediatrics would like to reassure our families that our practice is monitoring the situation and working to keep you and our employees safe. Although COVID-19 can cause fever, cough, respiratory distress and even death, most people who contract the illness will recover. Fortunately for our patients, children are less likely to have severe symptoms compared to adults.
At this point, we encourage families to focus on practicing good habits which can decrease the spread of colds, flu, and most likely COVID-19 as well:
As with any other respiratory illness, if your child is in respiratory distress, call us to help you decide what to do next. Respiratory distress may present as faster breathing or increased work of breathing. Infants may not be able to sleep or feed well or in severe cases may be lethargic. Older children may have difficulty talking and also appear lethargic.
East Bay Pediatrics would like to remind our patients who have traveled to China or other at-risk areas between December 2019 and now to alert us when we see or talk to you about your child having cold and flu-like symptoms. If you are planning to travel, the CDC website should have up to date information on travel recommendations. If you are interested in monitoring new developments about COVID-19, we recommend the following reliable sources:
At this point, we encourage families to focus on practicing good habits which can decrease the spread of colds, flu, and most likely COVID-19 as well:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Try to cough into your elbow, and if you sneeze into a tissue throw it away and then wash your hands.
- Get an annual influenza vaccine.
- If you are sick, in particular with fever, stay home.
As with any other respiratory illness, if your child is in respiratory distress, call us to help you decide what to do next. Respiratory distress may present as faster breathing or increased work of breathing. Infants may not be able to sleep or feed well or in severe cases may be lethargic. Older children may have difficulty talking and also appear lethargic.
East Bay Pediatrics would like to remind our patients who have traveled to China or other at-risk areas between December 2019 and now to alert us when we see or talk to you about your child having cold and flu-like symptoms. If you are planning to travel, the CDC website should have up to date information on travel recommendations. If you are interested in monitoring new developments about COVID-19, we recommend the following reliable sources:
- CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
- AAP Healthy Children: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/2019-Novel-Coronavirus.aspx
- Centers for Disease Control: How to Wash Your Hands: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html
- Public Health: Alameda County: http://www.acphd.org/ and Contra Costa County: https://cchealth.org/public-health/
