• child quarantined at home

My grandson’s classmate tested positive for COVID-19. What can I do?

If your child’s classmate tested positive for COVID-19, you should contact the school or day care for more specifics about the instance.

A child in my grandson’s class tested positive for COVID-19. What do we do now for my 2-year-old grandson and his family?

Your grandson’s parents should contact the school or day care for more specifics about this instance. It is possible your grandchild wasn’t even exposed to the child who tested positive. Regardless, the facility should have a plan already in place for potential exposures. They should be following local health department rules as well as CDC guidelines for childcare, schools and youth programs. Also, the facility should be following the CDC guidelines for what to do if a confirmed case has entered the facility. The language in the guidelines is very specific, covering six main domains, and importantly it includes information on working with local health officials.

If your grandson’s parents are worried about exposure to the virus, they should call their son’s pediatrician and find out how to get him tested.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bernhard Wiedermann Bernhard Wiedermann, MD, MA, is a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases. His research and clinical interests include: general pediatric infections such as Lyme disease, unexplained and recurrent fevers, malaria and other tropical diseases, bone and joint infections, medical education, distance learning and telemedicine and evidence-based medicine.

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