AAP Voices

We have been working tirelessly to keep the doors open and see our patients. We are deep cleaning every night, keeping “well patients” to the morning, screening patients at the door and increasing our use of telehealth.

A lot of things can be accomplished during a telehealth visit. We can look at a rash or, with the right technique, look into a throat. We can observe a child’s breathing and watch how she is playing and interacting. And parents can help, too. For instance, we can guide them in pressing on the abdomen to feel for rigidness or gauge pain.

As a communicator I’ve been working overtime to get the message out that we are open and available. I’ve also been working hard to share accurate information on my blog and social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

I try to write in the way that I would talk to a parent and answer questions I think a parent would ask. In a recent post on face masks, I explained the different types of masks, how they work and, importantly, when they do not. Right now, I’m working on a blog to clear up the confusion about testing.

There is a lot of misinformation out there.

Mostly, though, I feel the need to support kids and the long-lasting changes this pandemic will create for them. 

Just because they aren’t as sick with COVID-19 as adults are, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by this stressful situation.

While some kids will do just fine at home, I’m worried about all of the kids who have less access to the things they get at school. Less access to food, less access to speech therapy, less access to the tools and technology they need to learn.

Teenagers especially are having a hard time. They are very social and want to hang out with their friends, not their parents. And they miss activities like sports, graduation and prom.

My advice to parents is to check in with your kids and find creative ways to learn. Get out of the house, take more walks, while keeping your distance. Wave or have chats with friends from afar. Make connections again.

Kids still really need their care, including their vaccines. We can’t fail them now.

Send in your COVID-19 pandemic story, and we may share it here and on our social media channels. https://bit.ly/2XVvJIu