Parents normalize children’s symptoms to rule out COVID-19, according to a study

The current 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) continues to spread around the world, with a resurgence of new cases reported in many countries.

Overall, the toll of the COVID-19 case exceeded 51.37 million, with over 1.27 million deaths. These numbers are expected to increase further in the coming weeks as the Northern Hemisphere moves into winter. Although older adults and people with underlying health problems have a higher risk of developing serious illness, children and young adults are considered to be super diffusers as most of them experience little or no symptoms of COVID-19.

A new study by researchers at King’s College London explores parents’ perceptions of COVID-19-like symptoms in their children and attitudes toward isolation from others in the family when they feel unwell.

The team found that parents seemed to resort to looking for the most likely reason for experiencing the symptoms, discarding COVID-19 if a more likely explanation was evident. This means they tend to normalize symptoms to reduce perceived risk and the intention to isolate themselves.

I study

In the study, published in pre-press on medRxiv* server, The researchers used data from interviews that looked at parents’ perceptions of COVID-19-like symptoms in their children. Also, they were asked what they think they isolate themselves when they feel bad.

Overall, 30 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with parents of children between 4 and 18 years old. The participants were the parents or primary caregiver of a child who did not attend school in England due to the pandemic.

During the interview, recognized symptoms of COVID-19 included persistent cough and fever. Other symptoms were added in May, such as loss of taste and smell.

Normalize the symptoms

The study findings include four themes related to symptom attribution: “symptom normalization”, “error on the side of caution”, “temperature experience” and “symptoms not normal for us”.

The team found that parents were more likely to attribute COVID-19 symptoms if a rise in temperature was present or if the symptoms were unusual for their family. Symptoms were also normalized to reduce perceived risk and intent to isolate. When the symptoms were mild, they tended to worry less.

In terms of self-isolation, four themes were also observed, including “it is difficult to prevent contact with children”, isolation would be no different from closed life “,” limited space “and” ability to obtain food and provisions “.

Parents believe it would be difficult to isolate themselves from others in the home, especially their children. They also expressed their concern for their young children, who don’t understand the necessary boundaries when isolation is in place.

Additionally, some parents said it would be difficult to isolate themselves as they need to get food and supplies for the family. Finally, the parents said that isolation is difficult in small spaces like apartments, especially if they share rooms with other family members. Additionally, those with multiple family members living in the household may have difficulty implementing isolation measures.

“Our findings also suggest that larger families and those living in smaller homes may find it particularly difficult to isolate themselves. Indeed, research suggests that families with dependent children are less likely to adhere to self-isolation than those without. children, “the researchers wrote in the paper.

“Parents who reported that they could rely on someone for help with their grocery shopping were more likely to think they could isolate. This is in line with previous research. We suggest that helping families with their grocery shopping be a practical path. to facilitate adherence to isolation, “they added.

Research highlights the complexities in symptom perception, attribution and family isolation. Researchers suggest these challenges can be overcome by providing better guidance on which symptoms require action, how to prevent infection within the family, and by helping families shop through future waves of infections.

Cases on the rise

Many parts of the world are entering the second wave of the pandemic, reporting tens of thousands of cases every day. Like the UK, Italy and Belgium, many parts of Europe have already reset lockdowns nationwide to try to control the spread of the virus, and others may follow.

The United States remains the country with the highest cases of COVID-19, surpassing 10.24 million cases. India and Brazil follow with over 8.59 million and 5.69 million cases, respectively.

Globally, more than 51.37 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and more than 1.27 million have died.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and therefore should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice / health-related behavior, or treated as consolidated information.