WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Children across the country impacted by COVID-19 are being diagnosed with croup, a cough that sounds like barking.
So, what should parents look out for?
"It does seem that this is becoming endemic or it will be seasonal at some point once it settles out. And when it does, it will be likely that croup will be one of the typical manifestations that we would see in a child," said Dr. James Antoon of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
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Dr. Chad Sanborn, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Palm Beach Children's Hospital, said in our area they are noticing a general increase in kids getting sick.
"Certainly in other parts of the country, they are seeing a fair amount of croup and children who are COVID positive. So, it's very difficult to distinguish what's a common respiratory virus that we see every year, and what is COVID at this point," Sanborn said.
He said if you are worried about symptoms that your child is experiencing, call the doctor.
"I would presume if your child is sick with an illness, until proven otherwise, that there is a very good chance that they have COVID at the moment," Sanborn said.
So, if your child is diagnosed with COVID, what is the best treatment?
"There's no magic remedy for the kids at the moment. It's recommended they get rest, hydration, soup ... but nothing special as it pertains to the coronavirus at this time as far as treatment," Sanborn said.