The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children are fever and cough.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in adults and children and can look like other common illnesses, like colds, strep throat, or allergies. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children are fever and cough, but children may have any of these signs or symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Nasal congestion or runny nose

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Diarrhea

• Nausea or vomiting

• Stomach ache

• Tiredness

• Headache

• Muscle or body aches

• Poor appetite or poor feeding, especially in babies under 1 year old

Keep your child home and call their healthcare provider if your child gets sick

If your child has symptoms and may have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 or has been in an area where the virus is spreading,

• Keep your child home

• Call your child’s healthcare provider to discuss whether your child needs to be evaluated or tested for COVID-19. If you suspect that your child or someone they know has COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19, visit Coronavirus self-checker. This online tool will help you decide when to seek testing or medical care for your child.

• Protect yourself from COVID-19 while caring for your child

• Notify your child’s school that your child is sick. Also inform the school if your child has had a COVID-19 test and what the result is, if available.

• Review your child’s school (or other childcare facility) policies related to when a child who has been sick can return

• Bring your child back to school or other in-person activities only after they can safely be around others

If your child is sick but a healthcare provider tells you that your child doesn’t have COVID-19, your child may still need to stay home for some time. Before bringing your child back to school or other in-person activities, discuss your child’s illness with their healthcare provider and review your child’s school (or other childcare facility) policies related to when a child who has been sick can return.

Everyone in the home should practice everyday preventive actions. Those in the home who are sick with COVID-19 should follow CDC’s guidance for what to do if you are sick and when it is safe to end your isolation.

If a child’s parent or caregiver is sick with COVID-19, follow the steps below to help protect the child from infection.

Older children

The child should avoid physical contact with the sick parent or caregiver until all sick people have ended their home isolation. For the child to safely have no interaction with the parent or caregiver, the child should be old enough to legally be home alone and mature enough to care for themselves.

Younger children

If the parent or sole caregiver will be caring for the child while sick, they should contact the child’s healthcare provider for advice on how to best protect the child from infection.

• Young children should be supervised at all times.

• If the parent or the sole caregiver is too ill to care for the child, they should see if there is a caregiver outside of the home with whom the child can stay. The caregiver should not be someone who is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, as the child has likely been exposed to the virus. The caregiver will need to help the child quarantine for 14 days since they last had close contact (less than 6 feet way from someone for more than 15 minutes) with the sick person.

Children staying in the home with the sick parent or caregiver

If the child will stay in the home with you (the parent or caregiver who is sick), you should:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water is not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol and rub your hands together until they are dry.

• Try to stay 6 feet away from the child, if possible and if safe.

• Wear a mask if you are in a room where the child may come into contact with you.

• Note that masks should not be placed on:

  • Children younger than 2 years old

  • Anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious

  • Anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance

• Increase ventilation by opening a window in a room that you are in.

• When you need to bring items to the child, disinfect the items before giving them to the child.

• However, do not disinfect food when you need to bring food to the child.

• Watch for symptoms.

  • During this time the caregiver should monitor themselves for symptoms.

  • Check the child’s temperature twice a day and watch for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, or symptoms specific to children.*

  • If the child does develop symptoms, call the child’s healthcare provider for medical advice and follow the steps for caring for someone who is sick.

• If possible, the child should stay away from people who are at higher-risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

Children staying outside the home with a temporary caregiver

If the child will stay outside of their own home with a temporary caregiver, the new caregiver should help the child to quarantine and do the following:

• The child should stay inside the caregiver’s home until 14 days after their last close contact with the sick person.

• Watch for symptoms.

  • During this time the caregiver should monitor themselves for symptoms and practice everyday preventive actions.

  • Check the child’s temperature twice a day and watch for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, or symptoms specific to children.*

  • If the child does develop symptoms, call the child’s healthcare provider for medical advice and follow the steps for caring for someone who is sick.

• If possible, the child should stay away from people who are at higher-risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

The caregiver should then quarantine for 14 days after the last day the caregiver had contact with the sick child.

Children and teens react, in part, on what they see from the adults around them. When parents and caregivers deal with the COVID-19 calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children. Parents can be more reassuring to others around them, especially children, if they are better prepared.

Watch for behavior changes in your child

Not all children and teens respond to stress in the same way. Some common changes to watch for include:

• Excessive crying or irritation in younger children.

• Returning to behaviors they have outgrown (for example, toileting accidents or bedwetting).

• Excessive worry or sadness.

• Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits.

• Irritability and “acting out” behaviors in teens.

• Poor school performance or avoiding school.

• Difficulties with attention and concentration.

• Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past.

• Unexplained headaches or body pain.

• Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

Ways to support your child

• Talk with your child about the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child can understand.

• Reassure your child that they are safe. Let them know it is okay if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn from you how to cope with stress.

• Limit your family’s exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.

• Try to keep up with regular routines. If schools are closed, create a schedule for learning activities and relaxing or fun activities.

• Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members.

• Spending time with your child in meaningful activities, reading together, exercising, playing board games.

• If you believe you are sick and are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please contact your local health physician or call a local health clinic in your area.

  • Alexander Valley Healthcare  (707-894-4229)
    6 Tarman Drive Cloverdale, CA 95425
    - Call between 8:00 am – 7:00 pm, to schedule an appointment.
            - If you need to contact a provider for after-hours medical advice, call the 24-hour on-call service at (707-894-4229) to connected with one of our medical providers. This service is available in English and Spanish. 

• For more Information on COVID-19 and the CDC, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website. 

• For local Testing Locations and Information, please visit the Sonoma County Emergency Website

• For information for Sonoma County children, families, and school, visit the Sonoma County Office of Education Website 

• CUSD School Reopening plans and information