Caring for Children with Respiratory Illness

Most respiratory illness in children, including colds, influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID-19 can be managed at home without the need for prescription medications. However, in some cases, it is important to seek medical care.

Call your family doctor if your child:

Has a fever lasting 72 hours or longer.
Has a fever that went away for a day or longer (without fever medication)

and then came back.

Is unusually irritable and won’t stop fussing, even after treating their fever.
Has an earache lasting more than 48 hours.
Is not eating or drinking. Note that it’s normal to eat and drink less when sick. Liquids are more important than food.
Has special needs that make caring for them more difficult.

Call 911 or go to the emergency department when:

You are worried that your child is seriously ill.
Your infant, younger than three months old, has a fever.
Your child is struggling to breathe or is breathing faster than normal.
You are concerned that your child is at risk of dehydration or is dehydrated.

Health Connect Ontario has a symptom checker and the option to

chat live with a nurse. You can also call 811 to speak with a nurse, available 24 hours a day.

https://healthconnectontario.health.gov.on.ca/static/guest/symptom-assessment

Covid-19 Testing and Isolation information

Evusheld – what you need to know

https://www.ontariohealth.ca/sites/ontariohealth/files/2022-05/Patient%20Handout%20-%20Evusheld%20-%20EN.pdf

Evusheld is a drug that may help prevent you from getting sick from COVID-19.

Evusheld is:

• Not a treatment for COVID-19 or to prevent symptoms if you test positive

• Not a substitute for getting COVID-19 vaccines for people who are able to

get vaccinated

Evusheld is given to people who:

• may not get enough protection from COVID-19 vaccines alone; and

• are at risk of getting very sick from COVID-19

Paxlovid Information:

What is paxlovid? An oral medication for people with mild covid who are at risk for severe outcomes to reduce risk of progression.

Am I eligible for paxlovid treatment?

Where can I get it?

Visit this site for this information

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-antiviral-treatment

You can also self-refer to the St Mary’s Covid Assessment Centre by calling 519-744-3311 ext. 1083

https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/health-and-wellness/community-assessment-centres.aspx

Confused About Covid

The ‘Confused about COVID? Family doctors answer your questions’ series offers patients and the public trustworthy advice about protecting their health and how family doctors can help.

https://dfcm.utoronto.ca/confused-about-covid

Getting Your Covid Test Results

Public Health receives all positive results and will contact you directly if you test positive for having COVID-19.You can access your test results:

Online at Ontario’s COVID-19 test results website
Online through laboratory portals you are subscribed to (e.g. Life Labs or Dynacare)
By contacting your primary care provider
By contacting the Assessment and Testing Centre where you were tested

Covid Vaccines

Covid-19 Bivalent Boosters

Compared to the original mRNA vaccine: Early data in adults shows the updated bivalent vaccines help your body make more antibodies to fight COVID-191 and have similar mild side eects (e.g., sore arm, fatigue).

Everyone 12 years+ can consider getting a bivalent booster.

(who has had their initial doses)*

https://uwaterloo.ca/pharmacy/sites/ca.pharmacy/files/uploads/files/covid-19_bivalent_boosters.pdf

Second and Third Dose information

https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/health-and-wellness/second-dose-information.aspx#

Please visit the website to find out if you are eligible for a third dose, as well as which locations are currently offering it.

Review this article showing a list of medications for third dose eligibility – referral form no long required
https://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_vaccine_third_dose_recommendations.pdf

PROOF OF COVID VACCINE – RECEIPT

The website people use to get a copy of their covid immunization receipts is https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/

Procedure:
1. If a client asks about instructions for satisfying border agency requirements for travel, please ask them to contact the border agency directly.
a. Canada’s ArriveCan help page here and its support phone numbers:
a. 1-833-283-7403 (toll-free from Canada or the U.S)
b. Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-465-7735 (Canada and U.S. only)
c. From outside Canada or the U.S.: 613-954-8485
d. You are not responsible for providing the contact info for other    border agencies.
2. We do not issue clients anything beyond Ontario receipts to demonstrate proof of valid doses.   We do not issue any form of certificate, certified letter/email, or certified verbal response demonstrating proof of vaccination or the number of valid doses in COVAX. We will continue to inform clients how many valid doses they have in COVAX if they ask. COVAX Super Users will also inform clients how many valid doses they have when they enter their out-of-Ontario doses in COVAX. If a client lost their Ontario receipt, ask them to log into Ontario’s portal to download it. If they cannot find their receipt on the portal or have other questions, they are to call Region of Waterloo’s Call Centre at 519-514-1499.
4. If a client lost their out-of-Ontario receipt, they are to contact the original receipt issuer for a replacement. We will not re-issue out-of-Ontario receipts stored in COVAX.

Covid-19 Vaccine Information for Kids

https://kidshealthfirst.ca/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SGFP+COVID-19+Update&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fkidshealthfirst.ca%2f&utm_id=146994&sfmc_id=7593040

https://groups.oma.org/cetcomms/2021Comms/August/YouthVaccines_QandAs_8-5x11_EN_v2%20FINAL-ua.pdf?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SGFP+COVID-19+Update&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fgroups.oma.org%2fcetcomms%2f2021Comms%2fAugust%2fYouthVaccines_QandAs_8-5x11_EN_v2%2520FINAL-ua.pdf&utm_id=146994&sfmc_id=7593040

Covid -19 Vaccine General Information

https://tools.cep.health/tool/covid-19-vaccines/#addressing-patient-questions-about-vaccines

https://www.nejm.org/covid-vaccine/faq

Covid-19 Vaccines: Pregnancy and Fertility

https://www.pcmch.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/COVID-19-Vaccine-Information-Sheet-2021_04_28.pdf

https://www.sogc.org/common/Uploaded%20files/Latest%20News/EN_SOGCStatement_COVID-19Vaccination-Fertility.pdf

https://sogc.org/covid

Vaccines and Allergies

https://csaci.ca/covid-19-vaccines-faq

Pericarditis and Myocarditis Following mRNA Vaccine

https://www.ontariofamilyphysicians.ca/tools-resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-vaccines/myocarditis-after-mrna.pdf

Mobile Clinics For Covid-19 Vaccination

Residents who are homebound (do not leave their home for personal, medical or social reasons) will have the option to receive their vaccine via mobile clinic.
These individuals can submit their first name, last name, home address, phone number and caregiver name to PHECOVIDIMMS@regionofwaterloo.ca

Pharmacies in the areas offering the COVID vaccine

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations

How to use a disposable mask

COVID-19 VACCINES: More information

Health Canada has authorized the first COVID-19 vaccines for use in Canada after a thorough and rigorous review of the evidence to ensure the vaccines meet the standards of safety, quality and efficacy for authorization in Canada. Health Canada will continue to monitor the safety of the vaccines after they are available.

CEP – Centre for Effective Practice

This is an organization supported by family Physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, Ontario medical association, McMaster University, University of Waterloo etc.

See the link below developed by CEP with COVID-19 vaccine information.
https://tools.cep.health/tool/covid-19-vaccines/

Key messages

Primary care providers and patients can be confident. Standards of safety, efficacy, and quality have not been compromised to expedite the approval of COVID-19 vaccines.
Health Canada oversight of COVID-19 vaccines will NOT stop at approval. Health Canada will monitor the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness now and into the future.
Research into the value of mRNA for vaccinations has been progressing for over ten years. Though the new vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine approved for use in humans, mRNA has been successfully used in cancer treatments.