Physicians and staff at CHOC know you want to give your child the very best care every day, especially during these uncertain times; they’re here to help you when deciding where to go for care during COVID-19.
If your child is ill, injured, due for a vaccination, experiencing a mental health issue or a flare up of a chronic condition, what should you do? Contact their pediatrician or specialist? Call a nurse helpline? Visit the emergency department? They know it can be scary and stressful to have a sick child – especially during this time of COVID-19, so they have prepared the following recommendations to help you decide where to go for your child’s care:
Contact your child’s pediatrician or specialist
Your pediatrician’s office is a place for check-ups and vaccinations, and your primary resource for sick visits, when your child has symptoms like fever, runny nose, cough, ear pain, headaches, sore throat, rashes or abdominal pain.
Your child’s physician knows your child’s medical history, providing you additional peace of mind. If your child has a flare up of a chronic condition, consider following up directly with their CHOC pediatric specialist at 1-888-770-2462.
And rest assured, during this extraordinary time, they are taking extraordinary measures to keep their offices safe.
Call 1-844-GET-CHOC (open 24/7 and staffed with pediatric nurses)
If you don’t have a regular pediatrician and you’re concerned about your child’s fever, runny nose, cough, ear pain, headaches, sore throat, rashes or abdominal pain, call 1-844-GET-CHOC to speak to a nurse in English or Spanish.
The nurse will evaluate your child’s condition; if it seems serious, the nurse can connect you to a CHOC physician who can immediately conduct a telehealth visit and possibly recommend that you go to the emergency department for further evaluation or testing.
Visit the emergency department
Although visiting an emergency department (ED) seems scary during this time, it is the best place for apparent life-threatening events, which could include rapid and fast breathing, head trauma, trauma with loss of consciousness or vomiting, motor vehicle accidents, severe abdominal pain or dehydration. It’s also the best place to take infants less than 28 days old with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher.
Not all emergency departments take care of children on a regular basis. It is best to go somewhere that specializes in children’s health with specialized training and equipment made just for kids.
Like their physician offices, CHOC is going to extraordinary lengths to keep their EDs safe, including universal screening and social distancing.
Keeping your child healthy requires your attention, even during these stressful times. Ask yourself: What would I have done before COVID-19?
If you are concerned about your child’s illness, injury or mental health, visit your pediatrician or specialist, call 1-844-GET-CHOC or go to the emergency department.
And please do not let lack of insurance prevent you from getting medical care for your child. CHOC is a non-profit pediatric healthcare system. If you do not have or have recently lost your medical coverage, call them at 1-714-509-8600. They can help.