DOH expert urges parents to consult doctor if child has COVID-19 symptoms

Parents should consult a doctor—either via telemedicine services or in person—if their children aged 11 years and below are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, a pediatric infectious diseases expert said Tuesday.

Dr. Anna Ong Lim, Chief of the Department of Health's Technical Advisory Group Pediatric Infectious Diseases, was responding to a query on the best move for parents whose children are experiencing symptoms such as fever and cough.

"As for the minor symptoms we see in children, actually, it is tough to identify if its a case of COVID-19 or not. So, pinakamaganda pa rin magkaroon tayo ng teleconsult o kaya ng konsulta sa doctor para ma-evaluate kung iyan ba ay puwede nang ipagpahinga na lang or kailangan pang mag-work up para malaman kung ito nga ba ay COVID or iba pang sakit," Lim said during Laging Handa briefing.

(The best move still is to schedule a teleconsult or go to the doctor, to determine if it is best for the child to have a rest or they need a work-up so we can identify it is COVID-19 or another illness.)

"As it is, COVID-19 symptoms seen in children are usually mild, that is why it is difficult to pinpoint if they are infected with COVID or not unless they are tested or part of a household clustering case where all members of the family experience symptoms. In that situation, it is more probable that the child is infected with COVID-19," she added.

The country's COVID-19 vaccination is not available for those aged 11 and below just yet, since the COVID-19 vaccine for that age group has a different component compared with the vaccine for adults and as such, requires a separate purchase.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said COVID-19 vaccines for 5 to 11 years old should be available by the end of the month, and that 11 million children aged 4 years old and below should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of June this year. — BM, GMA News