Kids and COVID-19 Q & A with Dr. Rachel Thornton

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a mysterious and anxiety-inducing time for children, as new social practices are disrupting the norms they’ve known for their short lives.  It can be hard to explain to a child why they can’t hug grandma right now, or go over to a friend’s house to play.  And parents—especially new parents—are often uncertain about what behaviors are risky and what are safe, adding a new and complex layer of stress to the already challenging realities of parenthood. 

To help parents navigate this new and often confusing time with their children, Dr. Rachel L. J. Thornton, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health sat down with interviewer Elizabeth Tracey to discuss the challenges of parenting during the global pandemic. In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Thornton—who is also a board-certified pediatrician, public health researcher and the Associate Director of Policy at the JHU Center of Health Equity--answers questions such as:

  • How can I manage my child’s anxiety about COVID-19?

  • Can my child still have playdates?

  • How can we protect grandparents from getting it?

  • Can I still breastfeed if I’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19?

Dr. Thornton’s comments provide practical advice on monitoring childen’s health, noting for example that because children don’t always have the vocabulary to explain what they are feeling, a parent has to watch for symptoms carefully. Even conditions that used to be considered minor such as “coughs, sore throats, fevers, body aches, sometimes GI upset or diarrhea” may be indicators of a more serious COVID infection that warrants testing and isolation, according to Dr. Thornton.

If you are a parent with questions about how COVID-19 is impacting your family, this is a must see interview!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Rachel Thornton, Media Coverage, Individual AccomplishmentCHE TeamCOVID-19