You just found out your child was exposed to COVID-19 at school, at daycare, on the bus or during another group activity. Receiving this kind of news can be worrying. But what’s next?
First of all, keep in mind that being in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 doesn’t necessarily mean your child will get sick. Plus, if they do get COVID-19, it’s unlikely they’ll get a serious case – and, it’s even less likely if your child’s been vaccinated.
Even so, after you find out your child’s been exposed to COVID-19, it’s important to know what to do, how to prevent COVID-19 spread and steps to take if your child gets sick.
What to do if you find out your child was exposed to COVID-19
Based on the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s not necessary for your child to stay home if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19, unless they develop symptoms. But there still things you should do to keep your child and others safe.
1. Have your child wear a mask indoors when around others
While it’s okay for kids without symptoms to continue normal activities, they should wear a mask for 10 days when around others in indoor places – this includes inside your home and in public spaces. The exception is kiddos under 2 years old who should never wear masks.
2. Watch out for common symptoms of COVID-19 in children
If your child has one or more symptoms of COVID-19, they shouldn’t attend childcare, school or other activities. Symptoms typically occur 2-14 days after exposure and may include:
Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
New cough or a cough that gets worse
New loss of taste or smell
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Muscle or body aches
Fatigue (constant tiredness)
Very bad headache
Chills
How is COVID-19 different in children than adults?
COVID-19 symptoms in children are similar to the symptoms in adults. The most significant difference is that diarrhea, vomiting and nausea are more common in children.
3. Get your child tested
If your child has one or more symptoms, test them for COVID-19 right away. If your child doesn’t have symptoms, they should have a COVID-19 test 3-5 days (Day 5 is best) after being exposed to make sure that they don’t have COVID-19 without symptoms. But even if your child’s test is negative, they should still continue to wear a mask until it’s been 10 days since their exposure.
What to do if your child tests positive for COVID-19
Here are the steps to take if your child gets sick with COVID-19:
1. Notify your child’s school and others who may have been exposed
If your child tests positive, let people know as soon as possible to help control the spread of COVID-19. Here’s who to contact:
The school heath office or your child’s daycare
Leaders of clubs or activities outside of school
Friends and family that you’ve seen within the past couple of weeks
2. Help your child isolate
If your child has COVID-19, they’ll need to be in isolation and away from others as much as possible. This means your child should:
Sleep in a bedroom by themselves – if that’s not possible, try to put as much distance between the beds as possible
Use a different bathroom than everyone else – if that’s not an option, try to clean the bathroom with disinfectant throughout the day
Eat their food away from others
Not share personal items like cups and towels
Wear a mask when anyone is in the room with them (for safety reasons, they shouldn’t wear a mask when they’re alone or if they’re under the age of two)
Wash their hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds each time
3. Create a plan to keep others in your home safe
A positive COVID-19 case doesn’t just affect one member of the family. When a child’s in isolation, it affects everyone in your house. Here’s what you and your family can do to prevent others from getting sick:
Wear a mask when you’re in the same area as your sick child
Make sure that there’s good airflow in shared spaces
Wash your hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds each time
Don’t have any visitors
At least once a day, use a household cleaner to wipe down surfaces that get touched a lot, including light switches, counters, doorknobs and toys
Wash your child’s laundry separately and on the highest setting, wearing gloves and a mask when handling the dirty laundry
Get tested 3-5 days after the start of quarantine, or earlier if you start to experience any COVID-19 symptoms
Who should be in close contact with your child?
If your child is sick, it’s natural that the family wants to be there for them. But that may not be the best choice, especially if there are unvaccinated people in your family.
In general, it’s best to leave the caregiving to a single person to limit the risks to the family. If possible, choose someone who’s current with their COVID-19 vaccine.
4. Provide care to your child while they are sick
If your child gets COVID-19, they’ll probably have the symptoms you’d see with a cold or flu. So the ways you’d care for your child in those situations tend to apply here, too. Here’s how to care for a child with COVID-19:
Dress your child comfortably. Make sure your child is dressed in comfortable clothing and that they’re not too cold or too hot.
Encourage your child to drink fluids. It’s very important your child gets enough fluids, especially when they’re running a fever. If your child is urinating infrequently or seems excessively sleepy or irritable, they may be dehydrated, and you should contact your child’s doctor.
Let them rest. Sleep supports the immune system and can help your child’s body fight off the coronavirus and recover sooner. Chances are your child won’t need much convincing to take a snooze. But if they’re resisting a nap, turn on some calming music or suggest they do something relaxing, like reading.
Be positive and supportive. Children are great at picking up on people’s emotions. Isolation is hard on everyone, especially children. Being left out and avoided can make them sad. Remind your child there’s a lot of people who love them and that the reason why people are wearing masks and staying away is to keep everyone safe – so you can get back to doing fun things together, sooner.
Treat bothersome symptoms if necessary. If your child’s symptoms are causing discomfort, the following at-home treatments for COVID-19 may help.
What are at-home treatments for children with COVID-19?
4 years and older
Ages 1 to 4 years
4 to 11 months
Under 4 months
Fever or sore throat
Acetaminophen
Honey
Acetaminophen
Honey
Acetaminophen
Talk to your baby’s doctor
Bothersome cough
Cough and cold medications
Honey
Honey (should not be given to children under age 1)
Talk to your baby’s doctor
Talk to your baby’s doctor
Nasal congestion
Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen
Bulb syringe and nasal spray
What should I do if I have questions about caring for my child?
If you have any questions about caring for your child, you can:
How long does COVID-19 last in kids?
As with adults, COVID-19 recovery time varies. Your child should be able to return to school, daycare or other group activities when:
It’s been at least five days since their first COVID-19 symptoms, and
They’ve had a normal temperature for 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medications, and
Their other COVID-19 symptoms are improving or are gone. The one exception is the loss of smell or taste since that can take longer to come back.
Once a child leaves isolation, they should continue to wear a mask for five more days when they’re around others. The only exception is children under age 2 years old, who should never wear masks.
If you have access to at-home COVID-19 antigen tests, you can choose to use testing to determine when your child can stop masking. It’s recommended that you wait until Day 6, which is the day after their five-day isolation has ended, to begin testing. Then, repeat testing every 48 hours. Once your child has two negative tests in a row, they can stop masking.
If you choose not to use testing, then your child should wear a mask for the full five days after they leave isolation.
5. Be on the lookout for COVID-19 severe complications in children
Severe COVID-19 and complications are rare in children. But when they happen, they can be life threatening. If your child has a weakened immune system or serious medical conditions, talk to your doctor about COVID-19 treatments that can prevent mild or moderate cases from becoming severe.
Of particular concern is multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a complication of COVID-19 that causes inflammation throughout a child’s body. While serious, quickly getting medical attention for MIS-C can help ensure your child makes a full recovery. Here’s what to watch for and what you should do.
Call 911 or go to an emergency room if your child has these symptoms:
Can’t breathe well enough to talk or walk
Skin that looks blue or gray
A bad stomach ache
Inability to wake up or stay awake
Shortness of breath or breathing problems
Confusion or dizziness
Pain or pressure in the chest
6. After they recover, watch your child for any long-term effects of COVID-19
After recovering from COVID-19, children can experience long-haul COVID-19 symptoms that last for weeks or months. These symptoms include the loss of taste and smell, muscle weakness, stomach pain, fatigue and headaches. Your child can get long COVID even if they had a mild case or no COVID-19 symptoms at all.
If your child recovers from their initial infection but they develop new health problems that don’t seem to go away, make a primary care appointment to see if your child needs treatment for post-COVID syndrome.
We’re your partner in COVID-19 care for children
Finding out your child has been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19 can be overwhelming. Fortunately, most children who get COVID-19 have mild cases and recover quickly.
But remember, even if your child isn’t bothered by symptoms and seems healthy, they can still spread COVID-19 to others. So while you’re taking care of your child, make sure to take care of yourself, too.