My Child has COVID-19: What Should I Do?

My child has covid-19.

One of our biggest fears as parents, is for our kids to be sick. With COVID-19 lurking around, it was inevitable that our family was hit with this virus. Yes, our baby wasn’t sparred from COVID-19 too!

My baby was infected with COVID-19, and he got it the worst

In March 2022, my husband and I tested positive for COVID-19. Gordon was just 5 months old when he had Covid, and it was nerve-wrecking to see him struggling.

We had to seek help from my cousin to bring our baby to our Paediatrician (PD) to get swabbed. It was confirmed that baby was Covid-positive too, and our family quarantined ourselves at home.

Our poor baby… when he drinks his milk, he had to literally pause to catch his breath. Unfortunately, he also developed croup, a contagious infection of the upper airways that obstructs breathing and results in a barking cough. He was given small doses of steroids, which helped a great deal in providing immediate relief.

It was also challenging to isolate as it was just my husband and I with 2 young kids. Both of us had to take turns caring for our boys, as our new helper had yet to arrive.

Despite the hectic 2 weeks when we were unwell, it might actually be a bonus without her in our house yet, as she would be at risk of getting COVID-19 too.

Then, our older son caught COVID-19 after we recovered

Our 4.5 years old son had been the last man standing. The 3 of us took about 2 weeks to turn negative, then, Gideon turned positive! Sadly, he was not sparred from the virus too.

He was asymptomatic and recovered within days. Thankfully!

What Should I Do if My Child Has Symptoms of COVID-19

Unsure what to do if your child has Covid?

The first step would be to closely monitor the child for symptoms, and some might not be that obvious or asymptomatic. Although it has been reported that most kids get mild symptoms only, every child’s body may react differently, and the virus may affect your kids in other ways.

Some common COVID-19 symptoms in kids include runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, muscle aches etc. Do you know when to make the dash to the A&E? Look out for breathing difficulties, persistent fever of over 5 days and lethargy.

My next advice would be to isolate the child, especially if he’s the only positive patient.

It is also important to ensure that everyone is masked up at home. The infected child needs to have adequate rest, sleep, stay hydrated and eat balanced healthy meals. It’s a good idea to amp up on the family’s vitamin intake to boost immunity and fight the virus.

There’s no best medicine for children with COVID-19 – lots of patience, love and encouragement from parents and siblings would help them feel better!

Living with Post-Covid Effects: Babies and Children Under 5

The poor baby brother was still down with a persist cough with phlegm for another few months after he was cleared. His immunity was down from time-to-time and his routine vaccination had to be postponed again and again. He is back pre-Covid health only recently, and one thing we know for sure is that he has been fighting strong against the virus.

Meanwhile, we have been monitoring our elder son too, as he had not met the minimum age requirement to take the kids’ vaccine for COVID-19 when he was infected.

For kids with low immunity, have underlying medical issues or simply wish to reduce the risk of catching Covid: Avoid going to crowded places, if possible. When heading out for fun, choose open spaces with good ventilation.

My advice to other parents in Singapore: politely ask your friends/relatives to wear masks and sanitise their hands if they want to interact with your baby. Everyone reacts to Covid differently, and some can turn serious. It may seem awkward to request or for some folks, they may feel offended with such requests. However, all of us need to do our part and be responsible.

At the end of the day, when our children are unwell, parents are the ones who will have to take care of them physically, emotionally and financially too.

Wishing you and your family the best of health during this period. I hope my experience on managing kids with Covid will be useful for parents who are confused when things happen. Here’s to being stronger together as families in Singapore!