Children's COVID-19 symptoms

While children and adults experience similar symptoms of COVID-19, children's symptoms tend to be mild and cold-like. Most children recover within one to two weeks. Possible symptoms can include:

• Fever or chills
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Poor feeding or poor appetite
• New loss of taste or smell
• Belly pain

If your child has symptoms of COVID-19 and you think he or she might have COVID-19, call your child's doctor. Keep your child at home and away from others as much as possible, except to get medical care. If possible, have your child use a separate bedroom and bathroom from family members. Follow recommendations from the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and your government regarding quarantine and isolation measures as appropriate.

Factors used to decide whether to test your child for COVID-19 may differ depending on where you live. In the U.S., the doctor will determine whether to conduct diagnostic tests for COVID-19 based on your child's signs and symptoms, as well as whether your child has had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. The doctor may also consider testing if your child is at higher risk of serious illness.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious condition in which some parts of the body such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, digestive system, brain, skin or eyes become severely inflamed. Evidence indicates that many of these children were infected with the COVID-19 virus in the past, as shown by positive antibody test results, suggesting that MIS-C is caused by an excessive immune response related to COVID-19. Possible signs and symptoms of MIS-C include:

• Fever that lasts 24 hours or longer
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Pain in the stomach
• Skin rash
• Fast heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Red eyes
• Redness or swelling of the lips and tongue
• Feeling unusually tired
• Redness or swelling of the hands or feet
• Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness
• Enlarged lymph nodes

Emergency warning signs of MIS-C include:

• Inability to wake up or stay awake
• Difficulty breathing
• New confusion
• Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds - depending on skin tone
• Severe stomach pain

If your child shows any emergency warning signs or is severely sick with other signs and symptoms, take your child to the nearest emergency department or call 911 or your local emergency number. If your child isn't severely ill but shows other signs or symptoms of MIS-C, contact your child's doctor right away for advice.

There are many steps you can take to prevent your child from getting the virus that causes COVID-19 and, if he or she does become sick, to avoid spreading it to others. The CDC and WHO recommend that you and your family:

• Keep your hands clean. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw away the used tissue and wash your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Have your kids wash their hands immediately after returning home, as well as after going to the bathroom and before eating or preparing food. Show young children how to get the soap between fingers and all the way to the ends of their fingers, including their thumbs and the backs of their hands. Encourage your kids to sing the entire "Happy Birthday" song twice (about 20 seconds) so they spend the time they need to get their hands clean.
• Practice social distancing. Make sure your child and everyone in your household avoids close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with anyone who doesn't live in your household. Since people without symptoms may spread the virus, avoiding in-person playdates poses the lowest risk. Having infrequent in-person playdates with the same family or friend who is practicing preventive measures poses a medium risk. If you allow these kinds of playdates, hold them outside and make sure children maintain a distance of 6 feet away from each other. You can describe this distance to your child as about the length of a door or an adult's bicycle. To lower your child's risk of COVID-19, you may consider limiting involvement in activities that require shared equipment, such as a basketball, or that can't accommodate physical distancing. Encourage your child to keep in touch with friends and loved ones through phone calls or video chats. Consider organizing virtual family meals, game nights or playdates to keep your child engaged.
• Clean and disinfect your home. Clean surfaces every day in common areas that are frequently touched, such as tables, doorknobs, hard-backed chairs, light switches, remotes, electronics, handles, desks, toilets and sinks. Also, clean areas that easily get dirty, such as a baby's changing table, and surfaces that your child often touches, such as his or her bed frame, craft table, toy chest and toys. Use soap and water to clean toys that your child puts in his or her mouth. Be sure to rinse off the soap and dry the toys. Wash your child's bedding and washable plush toys, as needed, in the warmest possible setting. Dry items completely. Wash your hands after handling your child's belongings. If you're caring for a baby with COVID-19, wash your hands after diaper changes or handling the baby's bedding, toys or bottles.
• Wear cloth face masks. The CDC recommends wearing a face mask in indoor public spaces and outdoors where there is a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, such as at a crowded event. Further mask guidance differs depending on whether you are fully vaccinated or unvaccinated. If your child is age 2 or older, have him or her wear a cloth face mask when around people who don't live in your household to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. Don't place a face mask on a child younger than age 2, a child who has any breathing problems, or a child who has a condition that would prevent him or her from being able to remove the mask without help.

In addition, keep up with your child's well visits and vaccines. This is especially important for infants and young children under age 2. Many doctors are using strategies to separate well visits from sick visits by seeing sick children in separate areas of their offices or at different locations. If your child is due for a well visit, talk to your child's doctor about safety steps being taken. Don't let fear of getting the virus that causes COVID-19 prevent your child from getting his or her vaccines to prevent other serious illnesses.

Following guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus can be particularly difficult for kids. Stay patient. Be a good role model and your child will be more likely to follow your lead.