6 tips for the treatment of Covid-19 in children

The dreaded fourth wave of Covid-19 is arriving in Mexico. Infections increase, and with it, our concern for the health of our children. If your little one tested positive, don’t panic because these tips for the treatment of Covid-19 in children will help you.

The images of long lines of people waiting to be tested for this disease do nothing but anguish us, and when we see the positive result in our children, fear invades us because the idea that it could get worse terrifies us. However, we must remain calm to support our little ones during their treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that children have “a much lower risk” of seriously developing the disease commonly known as Coronavirus than older adults. However, minors with chronic conditions have a higher risk of getting worse.

According to Morgan Guerra Gea, epidemiologist and Medical Director of Previta, we must be very aware of the evolution of our little one’s condition, especially if he has a chronic disease or suffers from obesity, and maintain contact with the pediatrician from the diagnosis.

Tips for the treatment of Covid-19 in children

Do not self-medicate

Dr. Guerra Gea asserts that the Omicron variant produces symptoms very similar to those of a common cold or flu; therefore, it is essential not to self-medicate and go to the doctor if you have any signs of the respiratory disease so that the specialist can rule out or confirm a suspicion of contagion.

“Avoid self-medication in the face of any sign of respiratory disease or cold. It is better to go and make an assessment with the doctor. We recommend performing an antigen or PCR test. Do not leave it to chance; let’s see if it is or is not”.

Take care of food

Food is essential to get through the disease as it strengthens our immune system helping it to better combat the disease.

“Do not give up healthy food, avoid everything that has added sugars, search for natural foods”.

Make confinement bearable

Dr. Guerra Gea recommended “using an area of ​​the house to go through isolation. It can be the child’s bedroom, trying to keep him there most of the time, but not restricting the common areas as long as everybody wears face masks to avoid completely isolating the little one since he could be affected emotionally”.

To make confinement more enjoyable, we can organize some games or activities so that our children do not despair during this stage and establish routines to avoid boredom.

“You have to suggest fun activities or games and do not let them watch television all the time. Keep them active, so they are not desperate. It is necessary to maintain a routine as much as possible so that children can go through this stage”.

Appoint a caregiver

Once we receive our child’s Covid-19 diagnosis, choosing a family member to care for the little one is essential. The caregiver must be vaccinated against this condition and does not have chronic diseases.

“There should be a caregiver; the best is someone already vaccinated, with strong defenses and no health risks. If the caregiver is the mother and she is sick, there is no problem; they should only use a face mask in closed places”.

Warning symptoms

Although most cases of Covid-19 recover at home, proof of this is that from the start of the pandemic until January 9 of this year, 6,720 hospitalizations have been registered in children between 0 and 9 years of age. According to the Ministry of Health, we must be very aware of how the condition develops in our children.

If you have the following symptoms, see a doctor immediately:

• The fever does not subside despite the use of medication
• Heavy breathing
• There is space between ribs
• The chest sinks
• Change of color in lips, fingers, or extremities

It may interest you: When should I vaccinate my baby against influenza?

Vaccine vs. influenza to avoid co-infection

It is essential to vaccinate your little ones and the whole family against influenza to avoid co-infection; they can get Covid-19 and influenza simultaneously. This combination has been called Fluorona, which has been found in various parts of the world, for example, in Israel, while in Mexico, it was detected on January 8^th  in Nayarit.

“Before any viral disease, there is always the opportunist: the virus or the opportunistic bacteria that can co-infect the child with low defenses. The seasonal influenza is circulating at this time, so it is necessary to do it as soon as possible if you have not been vaccinated against it”.

Dr. Guerra Gea

Let’s not let our guard down against Covid-19; let’s keep taking care of ourselves.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version: Here