It has been a blessing, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to see that children have mostly been spared the most serious outcomes. While there has been a relatively small number of deaths and hospitalizations among children in Canada, many ― known as “silent carriers” ― experience no symptoms at all.
Watch the video above to learn more about children and COVID-19 symptoms.
A recent observational study by Canadian researchers, on children in Alberta under the age of 18, found that one third of those diagnosed with COVID-19 were asymptomatic.
The study looked at 2,463 children who underwent testing for COVID-19. Of that sample, 1,987 children tested positive and 476 tested negative. And of those who tested positive, 35.9 per cent reported no symptoms.
While the most common symptoms reported by children with the COVID-19 virus were cough (24.5 per cent) and runny nose (19.3 percent), it’s important to note that those two symptoms were also common among kids who tested negative. In other words, runny noses and coughing are rampant among kids, in pandemic times and otherwise, and can also signify a cold, allergies, or other conditions.
So while we need to exercise caution as parents if our kid has those symptoms, we don’t need to jump to the conclusion they have COVID-19.
According to the study, the symptoms strongly associated with a positive result among children were loss of taste and smell, nausea and vomiting, headache and fever.
Canadian parents seeking the most up-to-date information, recommendations and resources on the coronavirus pandemic and kids, can consult the Health Canada website.
Watch: A runny rose does not mean a kid has COVID-19