The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a virus. Symptoms may include a fever, a cough, and shortness of breath. Your child may also have a stomachache or belly pain and may not feel like eating.
COVID-19 can spread through droplets from coughing, sneezing, breathing, and singing. It also can spread when people are in close contact with someone who is infected.
Some children have no symptoms. But most children have mild symptoms and can be cared for at home. If symptoms get worse, they may need care in a hospital. Treatment may include medicines to reduce symptoms, plus breathing support such as oxygen therapy or a ventilator.
It's important to not spread the virus to others. If your child has COVID-19, they should:
COVID-19 usually causes mild illness, similar to the flu. But some people get much sicker. They may develop pneumonia or other problems that need to be treated in the hospital. Some people die.
People with mild illness usually recover in about 2 weeks. But some people have health problems that last much longer. These may include fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, pain in the chest, and depression or anxiety.
The virus can affect many parts of the body. These include the heart, lungs, and brain. Experts will learn more about how COVID-19 affects long-term health over time.
COVID-19 symptoms may include:
In severe cases, COVID-19 can cause pneumonia and make it hard to breathe without help from a machine. It can cause death.
Mild illness can usually be treated at home with over-the-counter medicine to relieve symptoms. But your doctor may prescribe medicine to help reduce the risk of serious illness. People who get very sick need to be treated in the hospital. Treatment may include medicines and breathing support, such as oxygen therapy or a ventilator.
How can you protect yourself and others from COVID-19?
Here are some other steps you may need to take.
If you are sick or test positive for COVID-19:
Check the CDC website at cdc.gov for the most current information on how to protect yourself.
COVID-19 is diagnosed with a viral test. This may also be called a PCR test or an antigen test. The test is usually done on a sample from your nose, throat, or lungs. But sometimes it's done on a sample of saliva.
Most of us probably recognize the value of showing kindness and compassion to others. But how about when it comes to ourselves? Being kind and compassionate to yourself is just as important. And with practice, you can make self-compassion a habit. Here are some tips.
You don't have to achieve big things to feel proud of yourself. The small things really do add up. So you can feel good about those things too. Maybe you didn't work out 3 times this week like you planned. Give yourself credit for what you did do. If you exercised once, that's something. If you took a walk around the block, that's something too.
On harder days, you might find yourself having more negative thoughts. For example, you might have a conflict with a coworker and think, "That's going to get back to my boss, and I sure won't get promoted now." It's helpful to acknowledge the thoughts you're having. But you don't have to accept them as fact.
The things you tell yourself can have a big effect on how you feel about yourself. And a lot of us are much harder on ourselves than we would be on others. If that's true for you, try shifting your self-talk to be more forgiving. For example, if you're beating yourself up about a mistake you made, take a step back. Try kind and encouraging self-talk instead. You can say, "This is new, and I'm doing my best." Or "I'm caring for my family, and I'm doing a good job."
When you get into a loop of negative self-talk, defend yourself. Write down your positive traits or things you're good at. These don't have to be major things, like "I once saved a puppy from a rushing river." They can be everyday things, like "I make very good pancakes" or "I'm a good listener."
Commit to doing something kind for yourself every day. Maybe for you, self-care means making time to exercise, do a hobby, or journal. Or maybe it's reading a magazine in the bath away from your children for 10 minutes. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as it's something positive and healthy.
COVID-19 causes a mild illness in many people who get it. But certain things may increase your risk for more serious illness. These include:
Some people have a higher risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19 because of where they live or work. The risk can also be higher if people don't have access to health care. This includes people from certain racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as people with disabilities.
This is not a complete list. If you have a chronic health problem, ask your doctor if you should take extra precautions. The more of these things you have, the higher your risk for serious illness. Talk with your doctor about ways to manage your risk.
Most people who have COVID-19 recover in a few days to a few weeks with no long-term problems. But some people have health problems that last for weeks, months, or years after the infection. These problems are often called long COVID. This can happen even if the person had mild or no symptoms. But long COVID is more common if the illness was serious.
Symptoms of long COVID are present 4 weeks or more after you got COVID-19. The symptoms may get worse after mental or physical activity. And they may come and go.
Long COVID can affect many organs, causing a wide range of symptoms. Common symptoms include:
Some people also have:
Other possible symptoms include:
If you've had COVID-19 and are having these problems, tell your doctor. Make sure the doctor knows that you had COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a type of coronavirus. This illness was first found in 2019 and has since spread worldwide (pandemic). Symptoms can range from mild, such as fever and body aches, to severe, including trouble breathing. COVID-19 can be deadly.
Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses. Some types cause the common cold. Others cause more serious illnesses like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
It's important to get your yearly flu vaccine and stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines. The flu and COVID-19 can be active at the same time. You can get sick with both infections at once. And having both may make you more sick than getting just one.
Getting both vaccines can protect you and others from getting very sick. If you do get the flu or COVID-19 after being vaccinated, you're much less likely to get seriously ill.
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if you have life-threatening symptoms, such as:
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
If you go to the doctor's office, wear a mask.
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