COVID-19 and your child’s health

There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).

If your child does not meet the current criteria but you are worried they are very unwell and needs to see a doctor, make an appointment with your GP or go to your local emergency department. It is important to phone ahead so that the practice or local emergency department can make appropriate preparations and protect other patients. This may include asking you to wear a mask.

It’s important to keep in mind that there are many reasons your child might have symptoms consistent with COVID-19. At this stage in Queensland, for most cases the cause of these symptoms will be the common cold or Influenza.

Your decision to breastfeed may involve thinking about your baby’s health, how sick you are and whether you are well enough to care for your baby. Your healthcare team will discuss your individual circumstances and feeding options with you. For more information, read the COVID-19 and breastfeeding fact sheet.

Always remember to:

• clean your hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rubs. Ensure you wash your hands after going to the toilet or assisting your children to do so.
• cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing
• avoid contact with anyone who has cold-like symptoms
• keep your children at home from school or childcare if they are unwell
• try to stay at least 1.5 metres away from people coughing or sneezing.

However please note, visitor number restrictions have been introduced to protect our patients and staff. Currently, we ask that visitors (including parents and carers) are limited to two per inpatient within a 24-hour period.

For outpatient appointments, we ask that one parent/carer accompanies the patient. If possible, accompanying patient siblings should also be limited.

We acknowledge that there may be situations that will need special consideration and ask that you speak with the nurse unit manager in your ward/area about this.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask that people do not visit the hospital if they:

• have acute flu like or respiratory-illness symptoms;
• have travelled from an overseas country within the past 14 days;
• have had contact with anyone confirmed or suspected of having COVID19 until 14 days after the exposure risk; and
• are in quarantine or self-isolation until 14 days after the exposure risk.

When visiting the hospital, please wash your hands regularly and use the hand sanitiser (red and white bottles) located at the hospital entrances, on most counters, ward entries as well as outpatients and emergency department; practice good respiratory hygiene practices; and observe social distancing guidelines.

If your child has a planned appointment or admission, and is feeling unwell please contact us before arriving at the hospital.

For patients and families, these changes may mean:

• ‘Virtual’ consultations’ (via phone or videoconferencing, also known as ‘telehealth’) being offered for outpatient reviews and appointments where it is clinically safe and appropriate to do so.
• Postponement of some non-urgent outpatient appointments.
• Postponement of some non-urgent elective surgeries.

These changes support the important social distancing guidelines now in place across the country, and will help us limit the number of children and parents in the hospital, thereby keeping everyone as safe as possible.

All urgent outpatient reviews and appointments are proceeding (either face-to-face or virtually) at this time.

Our clinical specialists are reviewing all current patient lists and new referrals on a case-by-case basis to determine the best options and/or possible alternative plans for each child. Non-urgent cases will only be postponed where it is clinically safe to do so.

We will contact families directly is there are any changes to their child’s appointments.

If you feel your child requires an urgent clinical review, please contact your GP or the Children’s Health Queensland Outpatient Call Centre on 1300 762 831.

We also ask that families who have appointments booked in the coming weeks, keep in mind that scheduled times and dates may change as the escalating COVID-19 pandemic impacts the hospital’s staff and services.

We know these changes may cause disappointment and inconvenience to families and we appreciate your understanding. At this challenging time, we have to ensure we can continue providing safe and timely care to children who need it most.

On Tuesday, 21 April, the National Cabinet announced that from Monday, 27 April, all Category 2 and some Category 3 elective procedures can gradually recommence across the public and private hospital sectors, including all elective surgery for children under 18 years of age.

Since this announcement, Children’s Health Queensland has been working closely with Queensland Health to develop a clinically-led plan to increase elective surgery at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in a safe and considered way.

Our staff have begun the process of contacting families to confirm elective surgery bookings starting from Monday, 27 April. Parents/carers do not need to contact the hospital but will be phoned directly and advised if there has been a change to their child’s surgery booking.

Like every paediatric hospital around Australia and the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances and challenges, and we are re-evaluating the situation daily to ensure we continue providing safe and timely care to children who need it most.

If your child’s surgery has been postponed, and you’re concerned that their condition is getting worse, please contact our Elective Surgery Bookings Office on 07 3068 1125 or your family GP.