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Children's Centers Coronavirus Q & A

We've received many questions from parents regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. It's obviously a very concerning (and often confusing) situation for our parents and children. Fortunately, our university community is full of helpful people, from our teachers to experts at Michigan Medicine and on campus. And many of these talented people are also parents at our centers.

The questions on this page were asked by parents and are specific to the U-M Children's Centers. If you are a parent who submitted a question and do not see an answer here, please see the main university COVID-19 page.

For more information about the university's response, please start with this regularly updated page.
Specific updates for U-M employees are also available here.
If you manage your own childcare center, the CDC has information to help childcare center administrators.
The CDC also has resources to support your mental and emotional health.
Here's a factsheet that provides details on how to talk with families/children about COVID-19.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Question and Answer

This page was updated 3/12/20 at 12:11 p.m. The questions were submitted by U-M Children's Center parents. A special thanks to Jonathan Golob, M.D., Ph.D. (and a Children's Center parent) for providing answers informed by his expertise in infectious disease.

What is being done in the Children’s Centers to prevent the spread of illness (and what can I do as a parent to help)?

Hand washing is the best means of protecting each other from this (and other infections). At the Children’s Centers we are encouraging children to wash hands more frequently and teaching them the proper technique.

Here’s how you can help: Be a good role model. Wash hands together with your children to help develop and establish the habit of high-quality hand washing at home. Plan to wash more regularly (perhaps even on a schedule) for at least 20 seconds each time. Here’s a good example, with a great song to help - Hail to the Hand Washers!

Parents, staff, and visitors should develop the habit of routinely using the hand gel dispensers at the door to each of the classrooms before and after entering.

Why handwashing is best: The virus is coated in a layer of fat and needs this layer to spread. Washing (with soap and water or alcohol gels) removes this fatty layer and stops the virus from spreading. But much like with washing greasy dishes, you need soap and water, and enough scrubbing to do the job properly. It is further important to wash all of the hands--all four sides of each finger as well as the palm and back of the hand.
When we hear "stay home if sick," what does "if sick" mean in this context?
State of Michigan Child Care Licensing rules require that children be kept home if they have diarrhea, fever or vomiting, and cannot return until being free of all symptoms, without medication, for 24 hours. However, given concerns around COVID-19, the CDC suggests you consult with your health care provider for guidance.

Fitting with the current CDC guidance anyone with the symptoms of this infection should stay at home, particularly (but not exclusively) those who have a known exposure and/or travel to a part of the world (domestic or international) with widespread COVID-19.

Here are the symptoms of COVID-19 infection:

Cough (almost all)

Fever (most)

Body/muscle aches (many)

Shortness of breath (some)

Notably, COVID-19 infection does not typically result in a runny nose (unlike other typical cold viruses).
If my child has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, what should I do to care for them at home besides ibuprofen and making sure they drink lots of water?

For young people, including children, most people recover within about a week of getting sick. During this time, keep an eye on your child’s symptoms, with special attention to how well they are breathing

There is not an evidence-based way of assessing shortness of breath for this infection. My advice thus far has been to ask if someone is finding themselves winded at basic tasks (getting up, slow walking, using the restroom) as a marker of more serious illness.

If you are worried about your child’s symptoms, call or email your health care provider to see if they suggest an in-person evaluation. And as always, if a person is feeling severely ill, it is appropriate to present to the emergency department for evaluation in-person.
Should families self-isolate when returning from out-of-state travel, even from locations other than those listed as high-risk?

The current guidance from the CDC and local health departments do not recommend self-isolation. However, you should self-monitor for any symptoms.

Testing for this virus has been very limited, and so this recommendation may change. Be sure to regularly review the main university COVID-19 page for updates.
What should we do to avoid the virus transmitting to other family members if one family member has symptoms?

Hand washing, cleaning surfaces, and staying rested are the best ways of preventing transmission within a household.

There are no good estimates yet of the risk of transmission in a household, but roughly it could be considered to be high. Most transmissions from person to person in the community seem to be occurring in households (as opposed to workplaces).

It is possible there is a brief window in which people can spread the infection before they themselves are feeling sick.
If the Children’s Centers close and my family has no symptoms should we stay inside all the time, or is outdoor play OK?

You should try to minimize interpersonal contact as much as possible during the period of social distancing. So, unfortunately, no playdates for a time.

The good news is that, being outdoors in sunlight should reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Thus, outdoor play is likely a safer alternative than indoor play.

No matter where you play, remember to wash: The virus can live on outdoor surfaces too. So after play, be sure to wash your hands. Soapy water is best. Alcohol gels are great too. And washing on a regular schedule, even if you are just in your home, is a good idea too.
Should contact be limited with older family members with health issues that are not respiratory issues (rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative muscle disorders) to avoid any spread of illness to them?

People over 70 or people with health conditions (lung or heart problems among others) should, in general, try to practice social distancing during this time.

If an older person or a person with a higher-risk medical condition is going to provide child care, it would make sense to also try to limit the social contacts of the child as well, preferably sooner rather than later. This would mean having the care provider and child avoid groups, particularly indoor gatherings. Outdoor play (particularly one-on-one) can be a good activity.
If a child doesn’t have symptoms, could they carry the virus and spread it to others?

It is possible that young children can spread the virus without symptoms, but this is not known for certain.
For kids with asthma or respiratory allergies, should we consider more precautions, or even staying at home?

The general guidance is for groups at higher risk (including those with lung disease) to practice social distancing now to reduce their chance of infection. This is a good question to ask (via phone or email) your child’s health care provider.
How long can the COVID-19 virus survive on surfaces?

Cleaning surfaces with typical cleaning techniques (including soapy water and/or dilute bleach) works very well to eliminate this virus immediately from a surface. The Children’s Centers do a three step process 1) wash with soap and water, 2) rinse and 3) wipe with diluted bleach solution for tables and other classroom surfaces several times a day.

For uncleaned surfaces: about four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel.
What is the impact on people who are pregnant? Is the risk greater? Any additional precautions to consider?

We still are learning about this virus. People who are pregnant have not done appreciably worse than those who are not pregnant in most of the available data.

In general, people who are pregnant have more difficulty with respiratory virus infections, particularly influenza. This has also been a bad influenza season. Thus, being conservative, people who are pregnant should consider social distancing and rigorous hand washing to protect themselves.
If we have a newborn at home, should we also keep siblings home from daycare, or take precautions above general recommendations?

The best available data about this infection has not shown young children to be at higher risk from this infection (and in fact the opposite).

Fevers in children less than thirty days old are a challenge. Fevers at this age range can be a sign of a different, serious, infection called meningitis that can require aggressive testing and treatment.

Thus, if possible, while there is a newborn less than 30 days old at home, it may make sense for the family to practice social distancing (and, of course, good handwashing practices).
Should all family members, including kids, wear masks all the time?
The current CDC and local health authority guidance is to not use masks in the community. There are a few reasons why:

Handwashing and social distancing, not masks, are more important for protecting oneself against this infection. Masks provide a false sense of security.

Using a mask safely, including safely putting on and removing the mask, requires training. Improper mask use could conceivably increase the risk of getting the infection (by inoculating the hand from the virus on the outside of a used mask).

We will run low on masks, and health care providers in close contact with multiple people sick with this virus who have been properly trained in how to use the mask will need the limited supply of masks to stop themselves from getting ill. Health care providers frequently need to do procedures that increase the aerosol spread of the virus--the situation where masks can help. Health care providers cannot socially distance themselves from sick people. Masks have the best opportunity to help the community as a whole if used by healthcare providers to help the ill.
Will humidifiers (or essential oil diffusers/steamers ) help reduce the spread of the virus in our homes & classrooms?

Humidified (as opposed to dry) air reduces the transmission of this kind of respiratory virus. The humidifier must be properly maintained to prevent it from spreading other infections.

There is no evidence for essential oil diffusers/steamers helping with this sort of virus. Some formulations of oils themselves can be irritating to the lungs.
How do we know when the threat of the intense spread of illness has passed?

When the number of new cases is zero after a while, particularly when we are able to test many more people for the infection.

Children's Centers