How to know if a child's cough could be a symptom of coronavirus 2026

Until just a few months ago, especially during the fall and winter season, every time we heard the little one cough we immediately thought if he was already sick. And if, above all, that cough - whether dry or productive - was due to some type of common cold, cold or flu.

Precisely, for a child to get sick with some type of viral or even bacterial infection tends to be more or less common, especially because their immune system is still developing, and it still does not have defenses against certain common infectious diseases.

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In fact, it is estimated that, on average, a 2-year-old child will tend to experience between 10 to 15 infectious diseases per year, concentrated in a period of between 8 to 9 months. This means that, each month, the young child can get sick approximately 1 to 2 times. Or, what is the same: during the first 5 years of life, a child can end up undergoing between 40 to 50 infectious processes.

Most of these processes tend to be concentrated between the first year of life and 3 years of age, especially if they go to daycare. And the most common thing is that they also tend to be more frequent between the months of autumn and spring (with a greater incidence during winter).

But in recent weeks, the typical childhood colds have been joined by an uncomfortable and feared “visitor”: the new coronavirus, which since November of last year (it is even believed that since August in Wuhan, China) has been causing serious havoc in practically the entire world. And it has come to drastically change, overnight, our lifestyle, causing the use of a mask to be mandatory today in public and closed spaces but open to the public, under certain assumptions. Which can make us ask ourselves the following questions: could the child's cough be a symptom of coronavirus? What symptoms can alert us that the child could have COVID-19?

If we take into account that cough is considered a relatively common symptom of COVID-19, it is normal that we have certain doubts, and even fear that the child may have the disease. Even though it is true that this disease is not so common in children, while those under 18 years of age generally present mild symptoms, similar to a common cold.

Is cough a common symptom of the new coronavirus?

Although latus is considered a relatively common symptom in the new coronavirus, it is also true that patients affected with this disease can present drastically different symptoms, ranging from sore throat to fever, and also some gastrointestinal problems. However, cough seems to be, along with fever and difficulty breathing, one of the most common signs.

According to what is known so far, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) studied a total of 149,082 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 between February 12 and April 2, 2020, of which 2,572 were children under 18 years of age. Experts analyzed the symptoms of 291 of them, and about 54 percent had a cough, 56 percent had a fever, and 13 percent experienced difficulty breathing.

These figures would be lower if we compare them with the adult population, whose prevalence of cough, fever and difficulty breathing was 80 percent, 71 percent and 43 percent, respectively. In addition, it was also known that about 20 percent of the children studied were asymptomatic carriers.

In any case, as this is a study in which only laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported, it may not be an accurate representation of the general population, so it is entirely possible that a higher percentage of children have the disease without presenting cough, fever or any other symptoms.

What would a cough caused by coronavirus be like?

According to most experts, the type of cough caused by the coronavirus is often characterized as dry, meaning it does not produce mucus or phlegm. Doctors believe it is probably caused by irritation of the lung tissues, as a result of the presence of the virus. In any case, it is also important to note that a smaller percentage of patients report having a productive cough, releasing mucus or phlegm, and a runny nose.

In turn, other related symptoms may occur, such as no feeling of relief after a coughing episode or attack, and a tickle in the throat.

However, if the child starts to cough, it is not advisable to panic. There are many reasons why you may cough, and it does not always have or present an infectious origin.

In fact, a dry cough can also indicate the presence of a viral illness, such as a cold or flu, but also in the case of allergies, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease or as a consequence of irritation from environmental factors.

If you think your child could have COVID-19, tell the doctor. Remember that it is always important to call before going to the pediatrician, since it may be necessary to take a series of special precautions beforehand. In addition, as many experts say, the disease can often be diagnosed through a telephone consultation, so it will be the doctor who finally evaluates whether the child needs to go to the medical center for a coronavirus test.

Of course, it is advisable to go to the doctor or emergency room immediately if worrying symptoms arise along with the cough, such as: chest pain, shortness of breath, bluish lips or face, severe abdominal pain, inability or slowness to wake up, or signs related to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (such as fever, abdominal pain, rash, vomiting and/or diarrhea).