COVID-19 Resources

PIDS continues to work to provide links to COVID-19 resources. Our sources include those provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and other organizations. COVID-19 updates and resources can also be found on the JPIDS website.

Federal Agencies

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Partner Organizations

American Academy of Pediatrics:

If a patient is suspected of having COVID-19, follow the CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Healthcare Settings. See additional details on infection prevention and control in the pediatric ambulatory setting by visiting our partner, AAP policy statement.

You can prepare to handle suspected cases in your patient population in the same way you prepare for other respiratory infection outbreaks, such as influenza or RSV. The same principles apply:

Keep children out of the health care system if it’s not necessary.
Use telemedicine and other non-direct care, when appropriate.
Review infection-control measures, including asking patients with symptoms to call ahead so they can be evaluated in isolation from other patients.
Visual alerts to inform staff of symptoms upon registration and reminders about respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette Collaborate with hospitals and health systems on local response and to prepare for surges.
Check with local and state health departments for information on specific local and state responses.

AAP – Critical Updates on COVID-19

AAP Webinars:

COVID-19 Pandemic – Clinical Guidance for Pediatric Practices: Strategies for pediatricians to increase infection control practices in their office to protect patients and health care workers.
Talking to and Supporting Children During a Pandemic: Helping clinicians understand how to talk to and support children during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how to help parents talk to their children.
Disaster Management for the Pediatrician in the COVID-19 Response: Utilizing preparedness principles to mobilize pediatricians to adapt protocols, learn new models, and serve as champions for children in a pandemic.

Infectious Diseases Society of America

IDSA Statement on COVID Testing Resources

JPIDS Articles

COVID-19 Advocacy Letters

Clinical Guidance and Protocols

CDC resource Caring for Children: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/children.html
Washington State: UW Medicine COVID-19 Resource Site
CIDRAP University of Minnesota: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center
MD+Calc: COVID-19 Resource Center

Events

PIDS Conversation (Roundtable) on Reopening Schools
St. Jude/PIDS Conference – 3 Part COVID-19 Webinar with Drs. Mark Denison, Jan Englund, and Hana Hakim (webinar recording)
Explaining Coronavirus To Kids Podcast
COVID-19 Webinar Recording: The Seattle Children’s Experience
California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative – California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative Webinar: Preparing Your Maternal and Neonatal Units to Respond to COVID-19
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh “That’s Pediatrics” podcast series: https://www.chp.edu/health-care-professionals/podcast/learn-about-covid-19-with-dr-megan-freeman
PIDS Webinar on Reopening Schools

Immunization Resources

Vaccinate Your Family has developed a set of materials to help educate policymakers and the public about the importance of routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking to People about the Importance of Vaccines during COVID (May 2020): This is a collection of talking points around current recommendations and what we are asking both parents and adults to do. Our main message is “Call, Don’t Cancel” to encourage patients to ask their providers if they need vaccines and whether it is safe to receive them at this time.
Communication Strategies for Raising Vaccination Rates during COVID (May 2020): This document offers ideas for getting the talking points in front of the public.
State Vaccine Policy Suggestions during COVID (May 2020): Suggestions state lawmakers can begin working on now in order to prepare for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Solid Organ Transplantation (SOT) Summary Points for School Entry

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised additional challenges regarding upcoming school entry for vulnerable children, including solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients. In response to mounting questions from families and SOT providers, a group of PIDS pediatric transplant ID physicians in collaboration with specialists with expertise in infection prevention, public health, and transplant psychology, convened to construct an expert opinion consensus statement regarding key considerations that providers and families can use as a framework when considering individual risk and shared decision-making about returning to school (K-12) this fall.

The statement summarizes available evidence, best practices, and consensus recommendations around key questions including:

Review of host-related factors allowing for individual risk stratification for children who may be at higher potential risk
Review of community and public health considerations that may impact the decision of returning to school in person
School-related considerations including preparedness and optimal infection prevention measures to mitigate risk
Review of the available published literature re: COVID-19 in pediatric SOT and school experience during the pandemic thus far

The full document is available online at the website of JPIDS (https://academic.oup.com/jpids/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jpids/piaa095/5880566) and has been supported by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT), the Starzl Network for Excellence in Pediatric Transplantation, the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society (PHTS), the Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION), Improving Renal Outcomes Collaborative (IROC), American Society of Transplantation (AST), and the organization of Transplant Families. A summary FAQ document has also been made available for patients and families (below).

FAQs for Return to School and COVID-19 Vaccinations among Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in the United States, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create many questions about returning to school for pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and their families. These recommendations from a team of pediatric infectious disease experts are focused on K-12^th grade. When reviewing this document, it should be remembered that:

Information and knowledge about COVID-19 are constantly changing and being updated,
No single answer is going to be appropriate for every child after SOT,
These recommendations are not meant to replace advice from your transplant team. We recommend discussing individual details regarding your school plans with your child’s transplant provider.

What things should be considered when assessing individual risk/benefit associated with in-person school attendance?

Individual risk depends on numerous patient-, community-, and school-related factors:

Patient factors include level of immune suppression, presence of medical conditions, and vaccine status. Because vaccines may not work as well in SOT recipients as in other people, we encourage all SOT recipients to continue to take steps to prevent infection regardless of vaccine receipt.
Community factors include the level of transmission locally and vaccine rates in the community. See the CDC website for information in your area: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
School factors include strategies like masking, social distancing, cohorting, symptom screening, ventilation, and hand hygiene. Discuss with your school which measures will be in place.

What are considered the most important infection prevention measures to be in place in schools for a pediatric SOT recipient to safely attend?

We support universal masking for all staff and children 2 years of age or older in schools this year, as recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). A higher risk pediatric SOT recipient should wear a medical-grade mask (3-ply disposable mask, also called a “surgical mask”), if possible, at all times when in school, even if other students and staff have masks or cloth face coverings on.Masks are also encouraged for all SOT recipients during outdoor activities (recess, after-school sports) where prolonged close contact with other individuals is expected. In situations where universal masking does not occur, we recommend that all SOT recipients wear a medical-grade mask at all times, regardless of vaccination status.

Additional measures that have been helpful in containing the spread of COVID-19:

Physical distancing: Maintaining a safe distance (ideally 6 feet, but at least 3 feet or more) from other people at school at all times if they will be spending more than 15 minutes with the other person.
Hand hygiene: Frequent hand hygiene should be encouraged and available for all students. This can be done by washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or using hand gel containing at least 60% ethanol.
Cleaning and disinfection: Schools should ensure regular cleaning practices that follow guidance from local health departments and the CDC.
Cohorting: using smaller and consistent groups/classes throughout the day, especially during higher risk activities such as lunch and gym class.
Sick day policies: It is important that students and staff who are sick stay home.
- Staff or students who have been exposed to a person with known COVID-19 should also stay home.
- Schools should screen for possible symptoms or exposures.
- We suggest that families tell teachers that their child has had a transplant, as well as teachers of siblings, so that families can be quickly made aware of sick contacts in the classroom.

We encourage schools to implement policies about who needs to stay home, what happens if a student or staff member gets sick while at school, and in communication with local health authorities, when a person can safely return to school after illness. Click here to read the full document.

Download the return to school for SOT FAQ sheet for families

Download the back to school safety tips for SOT recipients

Additional Resources

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