COVID-19
So that we can prioritize patients with serious illness or injury, please do not visit our emergency room or urgent care centers for COVID-19 testing or mild symptoms. For return-to-school tests, check your district’s guidelines, use over-the-counter rapid antigen tests if possible or visit coronavirus-sd.com for testing locations.
Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery:
Participate in nationwide study on the effects of long-term COVID
COVID Corner:
All You Need to Know about the COVID Vaccines
VACCINATIONS
The COVID Vaccine Clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital has closed, effective Saturday February 25th. Patients looking to schedule appointments can visit MyTurn (https://myturn.ca.gov/) to make an appointment at other sites in the community or may contact primary care offices to see if vaccine appointments are available.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
If you or your child is exhibiting cold or flu-like symptoms – cough, fever, sore throat, shortness of breath, body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea – please contact your primary care doctor to seek advice on how and where to receive care.
Please do not go to the emergency department or urgent care for minor respiratory illnesses or fevers. Rady Children’s is following the recommended guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and San Diego County, to ensure we are prepared and equipped to provide emergency services to our community.
VIDEO and PHONE VISITS
Video and phone visits are convenient and safe, and are available at many primary care and some specialty care offices. You may be offered the option to change your clinic visit to a telemedicine visit or phone visit. Learn more about video visits.
FAMILY MEMBERS ACCOMPANYING PATIENTS TO APPOINTMENTS
The only approved visitors to our clinics are Partners in Care. Anyone entering a Rady Children’s facility, regardless of vaccination status, must always wear an approved facial covering. Those wearing gaiters, bandanas, single-layer cloth masks or masks with exhalation valves will be provided a standard facial covering. Preparation for Your In-Person Visit with Rady Children’s Specialists
HOSPITAL VISITORS
The Hospital has updated its visitation policy to keep families and staff safe. Learn more.
HEALTH TIPS
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your entire mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. If a tissue is unavailable, cough or sneeze into your bent elbow.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Practice social distancing when possible: Stay six feet away from others and avoid large gatherings. This is particularly important for patients with chronic medical conditions or are immunocompromised.
- Store a two-week supply of food and beverages, including food for family pets.
- Ensure you have a two-week supply of prescribed and routine medications on hand. If you need refills, contact your pharmacy.
- Plan ways to care for those who are at greater risk for serious complications, and determine who will take care of sick family members.
Our goal is to continue providing quality care and service to our patients and families, while ensuring we are protecting everyone from exposure to COVID-19. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time.
IN THE NEWS
- Flu, RSV and Covid-19 Add to Crunch on Pediatric Hospitals, The Wall Street Journal, features Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Holmes, M.D., M.B.A. (11/18/2022)
- Rady Children’s Hospital Asking Parents to Avoid ER If Possible Amid Surging Respiratory Cases, nbcssandiego.com, features Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Holmes, M.D., M.B.A. (11/17/2022)
- The ‘Tripledemic’ Is Sickening Kids Across America and Straining Hospitals, as a Gift Shop Turns into a Triage Room and a Hospital Exec Helps Out in the ER, Fortune, features Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Holmes, M.D., M.B.A. (11/08/2022)
- A Surge in Respiratory Illnesses in San Diego County Pushes Long Waits at Rady Children’s Hospital ER, nbcssandiego.com, features Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Holmes, M.D., M.B.A. (10/26/2022)
- Opinion: COVID-19 Vaccination Is Approved for Babies. As a Pediatrician, Here’s Why I Recommend It, The San Diego Union-Tribune, features John Bradley, M.D. (7/13/22)
- Families Flock to Rady Children’s Hospital for Under-5 COVID Vaccines, The San Diego Union-Tribune (6/21/22)
- Type 1 Diabetes Diagnoses Spiked During the Pandemic, MedPage Today, features Jane Kim, M.D. (01/24/22)
- Omicron is a ‘Different Beast’ in Kids, but it Doesn’t Seem More Dangerous, Disease Experts Say, Business Insider, features Mark Sawyer, M.D. (01/20/22)
- Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Reduces Risk of MIS-C in Children by 91 Percent, Healthline, features Mark Sawyer, M.D. (01/18/22)
- Area Hospitals Innovate to Offset Workforce Shortages Compounded by COVID, San Diego Business Journal, features Ben Metcalf (01/17/22)
- Three Big COVID Misconceptions People Still Have, According to Infectious Disease Experts, CNBC, features Mark Sawyer, M.D. (01/14/22)
RESOURCES
- Evaluating COVID-19 Information
- COVID-19 Articles– KidsHealth
- Coronavirus PDF Book for Kids (English)
- Coronavirus PDF Book for Kids (Other Language Options)
- Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19
- What is the Coronavirus? (Printable book)
- How Teachers Can Talk to Children About Coronavirus Disease (Preschool-high school)
- How to Talk to Your Child About Coronavirus Disease: 8 Tips to Help Comfort and Protect Children
- Rady Children’s Mental Health Resources
- Help Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19
- How to Protect Yourself and Others
- Social Distancing
- Face Mask Do’s and Dont’s
- Back-to-College Tips: Protect Yourself from COVID-19
- What You Need to Know About COVID-19 and Pets
- What Your Test Results Mean
- 10 Things You Can Do to Manage Your COVID-19 Symptoms at Home
COVID-19 Web Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- How COVID-19 Spreads (CDC)
- Symptoms (CDC)
- Frequently Asked Questions (CDC)
- County of San Diego
- 2-1-1 Website
If you have general questions about COVID-19, you can call 211 to speak to someone.
COVID-19 Cases
For the latest information on positive cases of COVID-19 in San Diego County and the state of California, visit the links below.
Preparation at Rady Children’s
Rady Children’s has a comprehensive plan in place that addresses how we respond to an infectious outbreak like COVID-19.
Here are some ways that Rady Children’s is taking action:
- We have a core team of experts who plan for infectious outbreaks and work in close collaboration with our San Diego County partners in public health.
- We quickly identify patients who may be infected and then immediately isolate them from other patients and families.
- Staff wear the correct personal protective gear and follow established practices, including excellent hand hygiene.
- We participate in calls with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and communicate directly with our local health department on any potential pediatric cases.
We are confident in our plan to take care of COVID-19 patients as we have with other recent outbreaks of measles, mumps, pertussis and H1N1.