DES MOINES, Iowa — As the summer winds down for children returning to school, COVID-19 isn't winding down with it. Dr. Chris Etscheidt, a pediatrician at MercyOne Waukee Pediatrics Care Clinic, says he's seeing a recent rise in cases.
"In the last two weeks, there's been more kids in my clinic than there have been all summer," said Dr. Etscheidt.
Dr. Nicole Gilg Gachiani, Chief Physician Quality Officer of Broadlawns Medical Center, adds that the delta variant presents a challenge.
"The delta variant is more infectious and easier to transmit. That is a big game-changer from last year," said Dr. Gilg Gachiani. "In some ways, we are in a worse position going back to school this year than we were last year."
Monday, Dr. Gilg Gachiani and Dr. Etscheidt sat down with Local 5 to answer top questions about COVID-19 submitted by parents sending their children back to school.
Q: What COVID symptoms are most common in kids, and are they any different with the delta variant?
DR. ETSCHEIDT: You don't have to have all the constellation of symptoms that we were commonly referred to in the beginning. It could be just vomiting. It could be just diarrhea.
DR. GILG GACHIANI: We don't necessarily think that that has changed with the delta variant. Kids may be completely asymptomatic -- they may have just a little bit of a runny nose.
DR. ETSCHEIDT: So because of that, the only way for us to differentiate and to know is to test.
Q: How often should you test your kids for COVID-19?
DR. GILG GACHIANI: The best recommendation comes down to what your risk level is and what type of activities you and your family and your child is doing.
DR. ETSCHEIDT: Anybody with any sick symptom should be tested right now based on what the community prevalence probably is.
Q: How can parents find out if their child's playmate has been vaccinated or has been social distancing?
DR. GILG GACHIANI: I would suggest just opening a conversation. You can be very direct— just by asking. But you can also get a sense of their risk tolerance by asking them how their summer was - what type of activities they have been doing.
Q: Should children wear masks at outdoor sporting events - like football games?
DR. ETSCHEIDT: Our recommendation would be that if you're unvaccinated and you're unable to social distance, you should be in a mask.
Q: Can children or teens have long-lasting COVID symptoms like brain fog?
DR. GILG GACHIANI: That's something that we saw last year a lot. Lingering fatigue or lack of motivation or just a brain fog in adolescents who had had a previous diagnosis of COVID-19.
DR. ETSCHEIDT: Certainly in [younger] kids, how do you know if your kid is feeling foggy, or how do you know if your kid is chronically fatigued when maybe they can't tell you.