What to do if your child has COVID-19 or symptoms?

A child who tests positive for COVID-19 and/or shows symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, fever, sore throat or runny nose does not necessarily need to go to the emergency room.

If your child has COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19, keep him at home and make sure he drinks fluids. If he has a fever, you can give him medication to bring it down (acetaminophen or ibuprofen), to make him feel more comfortable.

A visit to the emergency room is necessary if your child presents symptoms that cannot be managed at home, such as:

• difficulty breathing (breathing irregularly or faster than usual, struggling to breathe, pale skin or whitish or blue lips)
• chest pain
• inability to tolerate liquids
• extreme drowsiness or difficulty waking up
• signs of dehydration (no tears, very dry mouth, drowsier than usual, no urine for more than 8 hours).

The Montreal Children’s Hospital Emergency Department is there for you when your child is very sick and needs urgent medical treatment. But it’s difficult to provide the best possible care when families come in for less urgent reasons. We’re asking for your help to ensure that the ER remains available for the treatment of children whose condition requires them to be seen immediately.

We thank you for your cooperation