What does your child’s pediatrician want you to know during this pandemic?
- Vaccines, vaccines, vaccines, vaccines, vaccines: this really could be all 5 things. Nationally during the months of March and April, the number of vaccines given to children against measles dropped by 50% (and pretty much all other vaccines have followed the same pattern). At our office, it dropped by 25% and we’re working hard to get those numbers back up. Measles is an illness that needs just a slight drop in immunization rates to regain a foothold and start to cause outbreaks, and a measles outbreak is the last thing we need right now. There has also been an increase in cases of whooping cough in Tucson recently. As pediatricians start to see more patients, if your child is due for a vaccine please make an appointment as soon as possible to get your child up to date.
- Testing: there’s a lot a buzz around COVID-19 testing. There are PCR tests and new antigen tests coming out that are done on nasal swabs. There are antibody tests that are done on blood samples. There are rapid tests of all three varieties available at various places, though generally none of the rapid tests are available at your pediatrician’s office (the companies will only sell them to large buyers like Walgreens). Almost NONE of these tests have been properly vetted to ensure they are actually accurate. And even the most accurate ones will have a high rate of false positives in a community like ours that has not had a lot of actual cases. So think twice about seeking out a test without consulting your pediatrician first.
- Safety: pediatricians are taking extreme precautions to make it safe to come to their offices. Most are seeing only well kids in the mornings and saving sick visits for the afternoon, doing telemedicine visits to keep most sick kids at home, using personal protective equipment, sanitizing more frequently, avoiding use of the waiting room, etc. If you want to know what your pediatrician is doing, check their website or give them a call. mesquitepediatrics.com
- Social Distancing: even with the economy opening back up, this is extremely important. We are not anywhere close to being rid of this virus and we are learning that even previously healthy children can become critically ill or die from it. Wear a mask when you go out, avoid gatherings as much as you can, and avoid unnecessary trips to stores (try to get several days’ worth of food when you go to the grocery store instead of going frequently). On the other hand, humans are social animals. We need interaction so make sure you are connecting with people online and at least occasionally in person with appropriate precautions.
- Small businesses: please support small businesses. Many are hurting, including lots of the members of Gateway Tucson, but also your local bakery, restaurant, and other locally-owned stores. If you are in a financial position to do so, please patronize these businesses when you can. If they don’t get our support now, many of them will disappear as we emerge from this crisis which will be a great loss to our diverse community.
Oh, and one more thing: stay healthy and safe!
The Doctors at Mesquite Pediatrics