COVID-19 Disease: FAQs

Trusted Sources for Accurate Information: CDC and AAP
- To meet the high demand for COVID-19 information, when possible, find your answers online. Here are the most reliable websites:
  - CDC website: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
  - American Academy of Pediatrics parent website: www.healthychildren.org
- Always follow the most current CDC recommendations if they are different than those in this care guide.
COVID-19 Symptoms:
- This COVID-19 coronavirus most often causes a respiratory illness. The most common symptoms are cough and fever. Some patients progress to shortness of breath (trouble breathing).
- Other common symptoms are chills, shivering (shaking), runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, fatigue (tiredness) and loss of smell or taste.
- The CDC also includes the following less-common symptoms: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Some people may have very mild symptoms. Some can have no symptoms, but still spread the disease.
COVID-19 - How it is Spread:
- COVID-19 is spread from person to person.
- The virus spreads when respiratory droplets are produced when a person coughs, sneezes, shouts or sings. The infected droplets can then be inhaled by a nearby person or land on the surface of their eyes.
- Most infected people also have respiratory secretions on their hands. These secretions get transferred to healthy people on doorknobs, faucet handles, etc. The virus then gets transferred to healthy people when they touch their face or rub their eyes.
- These are how most respiratory viruses spread.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C):
- MIS-C is a very rare and severe complication associated with COVID-19.
- Symptoms: The most common symptoms are fever with a red rash, red eyes, red lips and red palms and soles. Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea also occur. Half of the patients develop trouble breathing. MIS-C always has multiple symptoms.
- All patients with this syndrome should be seen by a doctor. Most need to be admitted to the hospital. Some cases are similar to Kawasaki’s Disease (KD).
- Incidence: a very rare complication of COVID-19. In general, COVID-19 continues to be a mild disease in most children.
- Onset of symptoms: usually about 4 weeks after COVID-19 infection and apparent recovery.
- Age: 6 months to 21 years. Peak age 8 years.
- Treatment: MIS-C is treatable with medications, including IV immune serum globulin and steroids.
- Outcome: most children make a full recovery.
- Prevention: MIS-C can be prevented by getting your child vaccinated against COVID-19.
Other COVID-19 Facts:
- Incubation period: average 5 days (range 2 to 10 days) after coming in contact with the secretions of a person who has COVID-19. Incubation periods can vary depending on the variant.
- No Symptoms, but Infected: more than 30% of infected patients have no symptoms.
- Mild Infections: 80% of those with symptoms have a mild illness, much like normal flu or a bad cold. The symptoms usually last 2 weeks. If you have had a previous COVID infection or had the vaccine, the infections are usually mild to moderate.
- Severe Infections: 20% of people not vaccinated with symptoms develop trouble breathing from viral pneumonia. Many of these need to be admitted to the hospital. People with complications generally recover in 3 to 6 weeks. Severe infections are very rare in people who are vaccinated. Older adults are at the greatest risk.
- Deaths: children generally have a mild illness and recover quickly. Pediatric deaths are very rare. Older adults, especially those with chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, obesity or weak immune systems, have the highest death rates. The overall death rate in adults is 2 per 1,000 in the US.
- Vaccine: safe and highly effective vaccines are available. At this time, vaccines have been tested and are FDA approved for 5 years and older. Trials on children younger than 5 years have started.
- Breakthrough cases are COVID-19 infections that bypass vaccine protection. They are more common with new variants. Many of these infections do not cause any symptoms. Most are mild to moderate and do not require healthcare visits. The vaccine prevents almost all hospital admissions and deaths.
- Booster Vaccines: the CDC recommends a booster shot for those 12 and older. For Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, a booster shot is needed if 5 or more months have passed since the first ones. For Johnson and Johnson vaccine, a booster shot is needed 2 or more months after the first one. Experts predict we may need a yearly booster, just like the flu vaccine.
- Treatment: new anti-viral and monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 are becoming available. They are mainly used for high risk patients. The earlier in the illness they are taken, the better chance they have of helping.
- Prevention: the COVID-19 vaccine and booster are the best way to prevent infections.

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COVID-19 Disease: Frequently Asked Questions