LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lately, we've been hearing of more Kentucky kids testing positive for coronavirus. With the school year looming, some parents are wondering if they should be concerned about their kids catching it.

 

What You Need To Know


  • As of July 20, 745 kids under 10 tested positive for coronavirus. One child died.

  • Children typically have milder form of virus

  • Hard to tell if they have the virus, so look for flu-like symptoms

  • Children should take same precautions that adults do

 

“We know you can have this disease in children. It’s much less common than in people that are older or even into their 20s, 30s, and 40s,” Dr. Jason Smith from UofL Health said.

While it is less common, we do see it. As of Monday, 745 kids under 10 had tested positive for COVID-19. Out of those, there was one death. Dr. Smith said, while research still doesn't explain why kids do seem to fight off this virus better than adults.

“They typically have a much more mild course of the illness than adults do.” Dr. Smith said.

Since the cases are milder, it can be hard to tell if your child has it. However, there are some signs parents should be on the lookout for.

“One of the things you can look for is kids that have signs and symptoms of a cold or flu-like illness," Dr. Smith said.

That includes a fever, agitation, or a cough. Dr. Smith said there is not usually a lot of sneezing with this virus. 

While kids usually don't have severe symptoms, parents should do their best to help kids avoid catching it because they can spread it to others. That's even more likely considering they can have it without ever knowing.

“Be wary more so that they could then spread that to someone who is more susceptible to the virus than they themselves,” Dr. Smith said.

They can take the same precautions as adults like avoiding large crowds, staying six feet away from people who are not in their household, and washing hands frequently. Kids over 5 are included in the state's mask mandate.

 

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