What is the difference between flu, allergies and coronavirus in your kids

With so many information being distributed online, it is very easy to confuse the coronavirus with flu or allergy symptoms. The anxiety amongst people, especially parents are heightened and they want to make sure that their families are not experiencing anything serious.

This is particularly the case as the little ones are back to school or preparing to go back. When you hear a little sneeze after school, how can you tell if it the virus or not?

This is also very normal and the coronavirus shares a lot of symptoms with the flu and a cold.

With more than6 million people being infected with the virus, 100K of those being in South Africa, parents need to be able to discern what it is that their childre actually have.

The below picture from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates what the main differences are.

In as much as the symptoms are shared, the coronavirus has more extreme symptoms like shortness of breath and aches and pains.

New research does show, however, that babies that are diagnosed with Covid-19 experience very mild symptoms, or none at all. The biggest symptom to look out for is a fever. A fever does not mean that your baby has the virus. But if they do have one, you can contact the coronavirus hotline call centre on 0800 029 999.

Also Read: Babies who test positive for Covid-19 have mild illness, often with just a fever- new study

Just remember to practice good hygiene, keep your mask on and stay away from people, especially sick ones.

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