COVID-19 appears to generally cause mild illness in children. Less than 2 in every 100 cases diagnosed in China have been in children and infection appears to be milder in children than it is in adults, although we do not yet understand exactly why this is the case.
However, at this time, when everyone is preoccupied with COVID-19, it’s really important to realise that not every illness your child has is due to COVID-19. All the ‘normal’ infections that can make children and babies really unwell still remain and there is a major risk that parents may delay bringing their child to the attention of a healthcare professionals even if they are unwell. If you are not sure if your child is unwell and whether they need to be seen by someone, click here to help you decide. GPs and hospitals are still providing the same safe care that they always do for children.
