How to spot coronavirus symptoms in children

Common Covid-19 symptoms in children are different to those seen in adults

As children go back to school this week, parents are being encouraged to be aware of the most common coronavirus symptoms affecting them.

While a temperature, dry cough and change to sense of taste or smell are the common symptoms for adults, new research has revealed these are not the most common for children.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has contributed to a UK-wide study that has given new insight into common symptoms and prevalence of Covid-19 in children.

The study found that diarrhoea and vomiting are the most common symptoms of coronavirus in children.

Despite this, a specialist said the majority of children with Covid-19 will display no symptoms at all.

Paediatric Research Nurse Specialist, Zoe Morrison said: "Thanks to this study we now better understand the prevalence of Covid-19 in children after the first wave of the pandemic, and know that while the majority of children with Covid-19 will display no symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting could be a sign that they are infected with the disease, and must now consider the value of refining the testing criteria for children to include these symptoms."

Coronavirus cases have begun rising again in Wales Credit: PA

The health board’s Children and Young Adult’s Research Unit (CYARU) has been implementing a study, which aims to assess the number of children who have had Covid-19, the symptoms of the infection and whether those children have antibodies.

More than 1,000 children across the UK have had their antibodies measured so far, including 182 at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales.

The findings also showed that young children under 10 years old were just as likely to have had coronavirus as older children.