Kids and coronavirus: What are the dangers?
Like many parents, Kerry McKenna didn’t think her 4-year-old son was in danger of contracting coronavirus.
But on March 13, the New Rochelle 1st-grade teacher’s son began vomiting, then spiked a fever and picked up a dry cough.
“At that time they said vomiting is not a symptom, it could not be corona, it’s cough, fever, fatigue and shortness of breath,” McKenna said. “So I was dismissed and lo and behold, he’s positive.”
It took McKenna 6 days to acquire a test and 10 days to find out her son had coronavirus. And while her son has recovered, her story reflects the worries of parents all around the nation.
In New Jersey alone, 146 of the state’s over 6,000 cases are under 18.
“The studies out of China and what we’ve seen so far have overwhelmingly shown that kids are not getting as sick as adults,” said Hansa Bhargava, M.D., a pediatrician and the Senior Medical Editor at WebMD, pointing to a well-known study on children and COVID-19 from China.
The study looked at over 2,000 cases, where one child died and just 6 percent were hospitalized.
The bulk of the children not critically impacted were over 5 years old.
Doctors say the best thing is to boost your immune system with foods rich in Vitamin C and Iron, and get outside while keeping your distance. It won’t prevent a child from getting sick, but will help them fight off the dangerous virus.