What to Expect If Your Kids Get Omicron
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
Medically reviewed by Dr. Monique White-Dominguez
The most contagious variant of COVID is upon us and the numbers of infected children are growing along with it. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over 3.5 million cases of COVID in children were reported in January 2022.
To give you an idea of what that means in relation to the other variants, over 11.4 million children have become infected with COVID since the pandemic began, and one week alone (the week ending January 20) saw 1,150,000 child Omicron cases reported.
There is no denying that Omicron is spreading like wildfire, and among children as well. However, there is good news. Studies show that approximately 1% of children with Omicron were hospitalized versus the 3% that were hospitalized with Delta. Though the number of COVID cases in children is higher than ever, fewer are being hospitalized because the cases are less severe than they were with previous variants.
Because Omicron is still so new to the scene and research is limited, not much is known about how this variant affects children.
However, it is important to know the available information on what to expect if your kids become infected with Omicron so that you can make it as smooth of an experience as possible.
Symptoms of Children with Omicron
Early data has been used to determine some of the most prevalent Omicron symptoms in children. They include:
Fatigue
Sore throat
Sneezing
Coughing
Runny nose
Fever
Diarrhea
Nausea
The loss of taste and smell is not as common in children as it is in adults. What is most commonly seen is fever, cough, and congestion.
The cough associated with kids infected with Omicron is not just any old cough. Doctors are seeing that children may develop croup with their COVID infection.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “croup refers to an infection of the upper airway, which obstructs breathing and causes a characteristic barking cough.” The cough happens beause of swelling around the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. That swelling narrows the passageway of air, so when your child coughs, the swollen vocal cords make the barking noise.
This common illness typically doesn’t lead to any serious issues, but if the symptoms last for more than five days or get worse, then it’s time to head to the doctor.
How to Treat Croup in Children
If a COVID infection leads to your child developing croup, there are some things you can do to alleviate the symptoms and help treat the problem.
Use a humidifier. Putting moisture into the air of your home may help your child breathe more easily.
Let cold air in. If the weather is cold outside, try opening the windows. The cool air may help soothe their pain.
Sit them upright as much as possible. An upright posture helps ensure nothing is constricting their ability to breathe.
Keep them from crying. This may sound like an impossible task, especially with a sick child, but the more they cry, the more difficulty they have breathing. So, find distractions to keep them from thinking about how sick they feel.
Provide lots of fluids. Fluids will help to soothe the throat, so find fluids that are suitable for your child’s age (ex: soup or popsicles if they are old enough).
COVID Isolation Guidelines for Children
The CDC recently updated its isolation guidelines and those updates apply to children as well. Regardless of vaccine status, the CDC states that if your child tests positive for COVID-19, they need to stay home for 5 days, If, after those 5 days of isolation their symptoms go away or are non-existent, then they can leave the house but must continue to wear a mask for 5 additional days if around others.
If your child’s fever continues, they must remain at home until the fever is gone.
