04 May 2020
NICE recently released a new COVID-19 rapid guideline immunocompromised children and young people, providing guidance on how to manage the care of patients, including those with coronavirus, during the pandemic. It's essential that healthcare for children and young people continues to come from a child and young-person approach.
NICE previously published a COVID-19 guideline on rheumatological autoimmune, inflammatory and metabolic bone disease, which applies to paediatric, adolescent and adult care.
There are some key differences in the care of children and young people which this new guideline highlights, including communication with children and young people, safeguarding issues and modifications to usual care:
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Children and young people often attend in-person appointments with a carer or parent, and so specific policies are needed on how to allow this while limiting opportunities for contact
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Children and people often rely on a parent or carer to assist in the self-management of their condition; it's important that families have contingency plans if a carer becomes ill with COVID-19
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COVID-19 presentation in children and young people may be atypical, and many may have no symptoms or very mild ones
Read guideline