Archive for infectious diseases
COVID-19 and a serious inflammatory syndrome in children: Unpacking recent warnings
On April 27, an alert circulated from the U.K. about multi-system inflammatory disease in children with COVID-19, based on a small rise in the number of critically ill children with this illness in England. Picked up by multiple media outlets, the alert cited features of toxic shock syndrome and incomplete Kawasaki disease, with some children ... Read More about COVID-19 and a serious inflammatory syndrome in children: Unpacking recent warnings
If someone in your house has COVID-19
If you or someone in your house has COVID-19, how can you protect other family members from infection when everyone is living in close quarters? Some of the recommendations below may be difficult, especially if you live in a small space with several people. Do your best, and remember the two most important things everyone ... Read More about If someone in your house has COVID-19
COVID-19: Separate fact from fiction
With all news outlets and social media turned to 24/7 coverage of COVID-19, it can be hard to keep up with the latest news — and even harder to tell fact from fiction. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of the actual COVID-19 facts. [smartslider3 slider=”21″] Get more answers about Boston Children’s response to COVID-19. Share ... Read More about COVID-19: Separate fact from fiction
Otolaryngology care during the COVID-19 pandemic
With the rapid spread of COVID-19, health care institutions around the globe have quickly revised their standard practices and policies to address the crisis. Protecting clinicians from infection is more critical than ever, particularly in high-risk fields such as otolaryngology. Yet the lack of clear guidelines and shortages of testing materials and personal protective equipment ... Read More about Otolaryngology care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: What we know so far
Despite the current hype, infectious disease experts and others are cautious about using chloroquine drugs in the current COVID-19 pandemic. While the urgent need for COVID-19 treatments justifies the rapid pace of trials, several concerns have been raised related to the limitations of studies published so far. Kristin Moffitt, MD The drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine ... Read More about Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: What we know so far
Could plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients help others?
As new cases of COVID-19 mount daily, treatment revolves around supportive therapy to reduce symptoms, meaning there are no treatments shown to slow down or kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One new idea actually isn’t so new: transfusing blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients into patients currently sick with the disease. Last week, the Food and Drug ... Read More about Could plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients help others?
COVID-19 and children: Answers from a Boston Children’s Hospital expert
Parents around the world have been glued to news outlets for the past few weeks, looking for information about COVID-19 and how it might affect their kids. Although early reports from China indicated that most children and teens infected with COVID-19 only had mild to moderate symptoms, many parents are still understandably nervous about how ... Read More about COVID-19 and children: Answers from a Boston Children’s Hospital expert
COVID-19 and children: Understanding the science
As information on COVID-19 pours in from all kinds of sources, not all of them reliable, we wanted to bring you the facts about how children and teens appear to be responding to the infection. In recent weeks, several highly respected medical journals have published studies and commentaries based on observations in children and teens ... Read More about COVID-19 and children: Understanding the science
The new coronavirus: Answers to your questions
As the new coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to spread across the world, people are becoming increasingly concerned about how to keep their families safe. To address these concerns, we sat down with Dr. Thomas Sandora from the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital to get answers to some of the most pressing questions. Do we need to ... Read More about The new coronavirus: Answers to your questions
Beware probiotics in ICU patients
It’s become common for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), both children and adults, to receive probiotics. Often, they are started at home to counteract diarrhea caused by antibiotics. There is also interest in using probiotics proactively in the ICU. A large multicenter clinical trial in Canada is testing whether probiotics would prevent ventilator-associated ... Read More about Beware probiotics in ICU patients