COVID-19 and your child’s health

For more on COVID-19 and children, see the ‘Health Advice’ section on our Information for children, young people and families page.

If you are unsure if your child has symptoms of COVID-19, or if your child has a sudden onset of any COVID-19 symptoms, you should contact your local GP, hospital Emergency Department, or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

Before attending a GP clinic, it is important to phone ahead so they can make appropriate preparations for your visit.

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
• if you or your child are unwell, avoid sharing utensils, cups and glasses
• get vaccinated.

However please note, under Queensland’s current restrictions, visitor restrictions are in place at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. Parents and carers are limited to two per inpatient. For outpatient appointments and emergency presentations, only one parent or carer is permitted.

When visiting the hospital, please remember to wear the mask provided, wash your hands regularly and use the hand sanitiser (red bottles) located at the hospital entrances, on most counters, ward entries as well as outpatients and emergency department.

If you have any queries about your child’s surgery, please contact our Elective Surgery Bookings Office on 07 3068 1125.

On arrival to the hospital, parents and carers will be provided with a mask at the health screening stations located at the hospital entrances. Additional masks will also be available throughout the hospital

Children under 12 are not required to wear a mask but encouraged to wear one if they are willing to. It is not recommended that children under the age of two wear a mask.

Read more about how to safely wear a face mask for you and your family.

• are unwell
• have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or asked to quarantine
• have returned from overseas in the last 14 days (excluding safe travel zone countries)
• have had contact with a person with COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• have visited a COVID-19 hotspot in the last 14 days or since the hotspot was declared (whichever is shorter)
• have been tested for COVID-19 and are waiting to receive the results
• have COVID-19 symptoms of fever (37.5 degrees or more), cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of smell or taste, runny nose, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting or fatigue.

Visitor limits are in place at all Children’s Health Queensland facilities, including the Queensland Children’s Hospital. Visitors are limited to:

• two (2) parents/carers in a 24-hour period for inpatients
• one (1) parent/carer per patient for emergency presentations, same-day admissions and outpatient appointments.

Wherever possible, siblings of patients should also be limited. Special consideration may be given to families on emergency or compassionate grounds. Please speak with the nurse unit manager or team leader of your ward or service about this prior to arriving at the hospital.

On arrival the Queensland Children’s Hospital, you will be asked a series of questions about your current health. We understand this may cause a short delay, but we appreciate your patience and support in helping us keep everyone in the hospital safe.

Children’s Health Queensland recommends all families follow the Government advice about children attending school, unless a child has a chronic or complex health condition and have been advised by a specialist that they should remain at home. If you are concerned about your child, please contact their specialist or GP.

For the latest school-related information, read these frequently asked questions

Our infectious diseases specialists are working closely with the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) network on hospital-based surveillance across Australia and will continue to provide information and advice for families as it becomes available.

PIMS-TS is an extremely uncommon disease and parents should be assured that there have been very few cases of COVID-19 in children and no cases of PIMS-TS in Queensland. If your child is unwell and you are worried about their condition, you should seek help from a health professional.

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.

If there are any changes to your child’s outpatient appointment, we will contact you directly.

If you have any queries about your child’s outpatient appointment, please call the Children’s Health Queensland Outpatient Call Centre on 1300 762 831.