Dear Healthy Kids Families, 

It is very difficult to read the news, listen to the radio, watch tv and look on-line and not hear the latest update on the coronavirus strain named COVID-19. Many of you have questioned what the current events means for you and your family.   With the announcement of the first confirmed case in New Jersey we wanted to provide a brief update on what we are doing to prepare.

Healthy Kids Pediatrics Group is actively monitoring both the international and domestic spread of the novel Coronavirus. Currently the risk of infection is low as per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), but the situation continues to fluctuate.

The virus is thought to be spread from close contact between individuals through respiratory droplets. The symptoms of COVID-19 infection are like other respiratory viral illnesses such as fever, cough, body aches, shortness of breath. Severity of illness can range from mild to severe. The most reassuring information pertaining to our children is that documented COVID-19 infections have been generally mild. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents and caretakers protect their children by following the same hygiene practices for cold and flu season. These general practices to help prevent the spread of viruses include: washing hands with soap and water, disinfecting household objects and asking family members to cough into their elbows. The best protection against COVID-19 is to avoid exposure by limiting travel to highly infected areas where the CDC has issued travel advisories due to the spread of the virus. If a patient or a family member has had recent travel or possible exposure to COVID-19 and is feeling ill, please remain at home and call our office.

We are in close contact with local health departments, and we will follow the recommended guidelines to provide proper care for those individuals. Our staff will be triaging all of our ill patients over the phone about respiratory symptoms, recent travel history from geographic zones of concern, and possible exposure to individuals infected with COVID-19. 

Currently, our practice cannot test for COVID-19 infection at our office. 

As the current situation progresses, we will continue to follow best practices and recommendations to ensure the safety for our patients and their families.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/2019-Novel-Coronavirus.aspx

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html