When to take a child to the doctor after COVID-19?

Recently, the number of children infected with COVID-19 in our country is increasing. Although the symptoms of COVID-19 in children are milder than in adults, the number of severe cases and hospitalizations are small, but a certain percentage of children after contracting COVID-19 persist with symptoms such as cough, pain headache, fatigue, behavioral disturbances, loss of taste…

Although the knowledge about the post-COVID-19 pandemic has not been fully updated so far through the medical literature and in fact there is not much experience, but according to medical experts, parents also need to understand. on post-COVID-19 in children.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien, Director of the National Children’s Hospital, for children, post-COVID-19 is a term to refer to a group of long-lasting symptoms (such as fatigue, taste disturbances, headaches, cough, difficulty breathing, etc.) the child experienced after contracting COVID-19 within 3 months and affecting his daily activities. These symptoms may persist from the initial illness or appear after recovery and are not caused by other causes.

The common symptoms of post-COVID-19 in children are also varied and variable, and the prevalence of symptoms also varies. Therefore, the exact number of post-COVID-19 incidence in children is currently unknown.

A child with a mild case of COVID-19 may also show signs of post-COVID-19. However, if a child has a critical acute case of COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation or care in an intensive care unit, the child will be more susceptible to symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, etc., which are common symptoms. in people requiring resuscitation.

Some studies also show that children who are obese, have a history of allergies, chronic medical conditions, and children over the age of 5 have a higher risk of developing post-COVID-19 symptoms than other groups of children.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien said that post-COVID-19 can affect most organs in the body. However, in children and adolescents most often show symptoms on the nervous system such as fatigue, headache, insomnia, taste and smell disturbances, etc. Children may also have other symptoms. emotional disturbances, poor concentration, memory loss, learning difficulties.

Other common respiratory symptoms are prolonged cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing… In addition, children may have joint pain, muscle pain, chest heaviness, palpitations.

“Multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) after SARS-CoV-2 infection is rare but a severe and potentially life-threatening condition that usually occurs 2-6 weeks after COVID-19 infection. The disease often causes damage to multiple organs such as the heart, blood vessels and other organs, causing the disease to progress rapidly, requiring hospitalization. Assoc. Tran Minh Dien said.

According to healthychildren.orgfull immunization COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) has been shown to prevent COVID-19 in children 12-18 years of age. If your child develops unexplained fever-like symptoms after contracting COVID-19, talk to their doctor. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome can get worse quickly in children and should be seen by a specialist as soon as possible. Children with this condition will be hospitalized and often in the intensive care unit.

Signs you need to take your child to the doctor

Also follow healthychildren.org“long-lasting COVID-19” is a general term for symptoms health physical and mental illness experienced by some patients four weeks or more after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Ideally, during the first 4 to 12 weeks after illness, parents need to direct their child to a healthy lifestyle to help improve symptoms. If symptoms persist for more than 3 months, your child may need additional tests.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien also noted that not all symptoms appearing in children after COVID-19 are post-COVID-19.

Children will be examined by pediatricians, evaluate their overall health, and identify current main symptoms. If necessary and indicated, the child will be consulted or re-examined by different specialists. Children will be examined with tests, exploratory measures such as imaging, ultrasound, assessment of respiratory function … and a specific treatment plan for each child.

Currently, there are no physical, drug or food measures to prevent the emergence of post-COVID-19. The only way to prevent the appearance of post-COVID-19 is to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with appropriate preventive measures and to vaccinate against COVID-19 when indicated. When a child has COVID-19, it is necessary to monitor and care for the child according to the instructions of the medical staff and take the child to medical facilities for examination and treatment in a timely manner.