Archive for coronavirus
Getting to a COVID-19 vaccine as fast and as safely as possible
The novel coronavirus is not expected to disappear anytime soon. With physical distancing, virus testing, contact tracing, and potentially new therapeutics, we may be able to keep it partially at bay. But many eyes are looking toward a COVID-19 vaccine, and scientists are feeling the urgency. Key takeaways. Work is moving quickly, but to show ... Read More about Getting to a COVID-19 vaccine as fast and as safely as possible
Type III interferon in COVID-19: Protective or harmful?
Our immune system makes interferons and other cytokines to help us fight viruses. But in COVID-19, we’ve learned that they can also contribute to damaging, potentially life-threatening lung inflammation. New work published yesterday in the journal Science helps tease out the good from the bad for one interferon of interest: type III. Key takeaways. At ... Read More about Type III interferon in COVID-19: Protective or harmful?
How to prepare your child for an outpatient visit
The COVID-19 outbreak has changed many things, including what it’s like for kids to visit Boston Children’s Hospital. The lobby that normally bustles with patients, families, and clinicians is quieter. Security guards ask families if they have an appointment and make sure they know where they’re headed. Visitors are asked about their health and provided ... Read More about How to prepare your child for an outpatient visit
How to encourage your child to wear a mask for COVID-19 protection
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than age 2 wear a face covering in public unless they have significant breathing problems. Whether you’re coming to the hospital for an appointment or are simply trying to enjoy more time outdoors, your child will likely need wear a mask in public. ... Read More about How to encourage your child to wear a mask for COVID-19 protection
Should you send your child to camp this summer?
Camp — or no camp — this summer? That’s the question facing many parents and caregivers right now as more businesses begin to reopen. The answer will be a very personal one for each family, depending on their specific circumstances and comfort level with risk. While some camps have already been cancelled due to coronavirus ... Read More about Should you send your child to camp this summer?
More COVID-19 myths and facts: Boston Children’s edition
Now that restrictions are easing in Massachusetts, many people have questions about how, if, and when to visit Boston Children’s Hospital. Test your knowledge of our updated policies and procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak by taking our quiz. [smartslider3 slider=”27″] Take our previous quiz and get more answers about Boston Children’s response to COVID-19. Share this:
How athletes can stay healthy and injury-free during COVID-19
June is normally a time for student athletes to celebrate a long season of training and competition. But athletes are at loose ends this year with the suspension of sports during COVID-19. “For anyone who identifies as an athlete, it’s almost like they’ve lost a part of themselves,” says Kimberly O’Brien, clinical social worker in ... Read More about How athletes can stay healthy and injury-free during COVID-19
Treating inflammation in MIS-C: An evidence-based approach
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a complex, post-COVID-19 spectrum of illness that has affected a small number of children and adolescents. Symptoms can include features of Kawasaki disease, cardiac dysfunction, hypotension and toxic-shock-like signs, abnormal blood coagulation, and prominent GI symptoms. At its core is a hyperinflammatory response that we do not yet ... Read More about Treating inflammation in MIS-C: An evidence-based approach
Using augmentative communication to support COVID-19 patients
People with COVID-19 on a ventilator are unable to speak to express their needs, which can complicate their care and lead to poorer outcomes. The Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children’s Hospital is supporting hospitals around the nation and around the world by helping them communicate with these critically ill patients in the hopes of improving their ... Read More about Using augmentative communication to support COVID-19 patients
Signs of diabetes and other medical emergencies: Don’t delay care during the COVID outbreak
Merlin Ladd had been home from school for about six weeks when his parents started to notice that something was off. At first, they thought that the 13-year-old — like many of us — was simply in a funk from being stuck inside due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “He seemed lethargic and out of sorts,” ... Read More about Signs of diabetes and other medical emergencies: Don’t delay care during the COVID outbreak