COVID-19 information

We understand this is a worrying time for children and their families, especially those with a health condition. Here is some information about coronavirus (COVID-19) and coming to our hospitals.

Image courtesy of Fusion Medical Animation

For the most up-to-date information visit the dedicated NSW Health coronavirus information page. 

Message from our Chief Executive

Hello everyone,

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a worrying time for all of us, and it can be an especially anxious time for patients with long-term health conditions and their families. The situation is changing rapidly and there is a lot of information to take in. This page aims to answer some of your questions about coming to our hospitals and the care we are providing for patients. 

In response to COVID-19, we have made some important changes to ensure no one is placed at risk when coming to our facilities. We are currently restricting visitors to one parent/carer per patient, and asking siblings not to visit at this time. I understand that this can be challenging for families, especially if your child is here long-term, but this measure will help stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect our patients, families and staff.

I want to reassure you that the health and safety of our patients is our priority. We will keep you updated with further changes that impact you, but in the meantime, your healthcare team is available to speak with you if you have any specific concerns about your child's medical condition. 

My most recent letter to all families outlines in more detail how we are committed to keeping you safe in this challenging time. It addresses things like changes to appointments, surgeries, visitor guidelines and other measures.

Stay safe.

Cheryl

Adjunct Associate Professor Cheryl McCullagh
Chief Executive, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network

Hospital visitor guidelines and screening

Ensuring both our hospitals are a safe and welcoming space for patients and families is our priority.

We request that:

  • only one parent or carer visit a patient.
  • no siblings or other children are brought into our hospitals.
  • strict physical distancing rules be observed.

Our facilities are not open to the public at this time, except for patients and one carer.

Screening process

A screening process is now in place to make sure any person who may have an illness that could be passed on to our patients, families or staff, does not enter our hospitals.

You will be greeted by a member of staff at our hospital entrances and have your temperature taken and be asked the following questions before you can enter:

  • Are you a staff member, patient, family member or visitor?
  • Are you experiencing any cold-like symptoms?
  • Have you been in contact with someone with COVID-19?

Anyone who is sick or a COVID-19 contact, will not be able to enter. 

Anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms or an unexplained fever is encouraged to be tested for COVID-19.  

What we are doing to keep our patients, families and staff safe

Keeping you safe is our priority.

If your child is unwell or injured, we’re here to help. Don’t delay, visit when you need us.

It’s completely understandable to feel anxious about catching COVID-19, but our hospitals are safe places, with our experts ready to care for your kids when they need us most.

In response to COVID-19, we have made some important changes - so that no one is placed at risk when coming to our hospitals. These include:

Safety screening points

Everyone coming to our hospitals will be greeted by a member of staff and have their temperature taken and be asked a number of screening questions to ensure they are not bringing illness into the hospital.

Visitor restrictions

Visitors are restricted to one parent/carer at a time. Siblings or other children cannot visit for the time being. The number of staff entering our wards and clinical areas has been limited to essential staff only. Our hospitals are not open to the general public. Limiting visitors and minimising staff contact is one way we are reducing the risk of COVID-19, and other illnesses, being brought in to our hospitals.

Changes to clinic appointments and surgeries

Following the Prime Minister’s directive, from Monday 27 April, elective surgeries in Australian Hospitals were limited to Category 1, Category 2 and some important Category 3 elective surgeries. All other elective surgeries were postponed. Clinic appointments have been limited to urgent appointments only. Other appointments have been rescheduled or will take place by telephone or telehealth. Elective surgery and clinic appointments will recommence gradually, with every precaution being taken to ensure our patients and staff remain safe.

Staff, patient and family health checks

Every family with a booked appointment or procedure is being contacted in advance, to make sure they are not sick with cold-like symptoms. Anyone with symptoms is asked not to come to our hospitals. Any staff member with cold-like symptoms, no matter how mild, will be tested for COVID-19 and not allowed to return to work until their test is negative.

Physical distancing 

Strict physical distancing measures are in place in line with government guidelines. Our hospital cafés are still open, but for take-away only and communal seating areas are also closed. You will see posters and floor markings around our hospitals which remind everyone to keep a safe distance.

Cleaning, hand hygiene and infection control

We have employed more cleaners, and follow strict cleaning and infection control guidelines.

Your child's health can't wait. Don't delay, visit when you need us.

How COVID-19 affects children

The risk to children and babies, and the role children play in transmitting COVID-19, is still being researched. Children can develop COVID-19, but evidence suggests they do not get as sick as adults, especially elderly adults.

The rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases among children, compared to the broader population, has so far been low. Very few children develop severe symptoms with COVID-19 and the vast majority globally have recovered without needing medical support.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has carried out research to understand the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in NSW schools, and preliminary findings suggest that the spread of COVID-19 within NSW schools has been very limited. Read the preliminary findings of the research into COVID-19 in schools – the experience in NSW.

Evidence suggests that coronavirus infection in children is very uncommon and severe disease is rare, with a majority of COVID-19 infections occurring in adults. Infectious diseases experts at The Children's Hospital at Westmead are conducting research to better understand why this is the case by analysing the human immune response amongst children and adults. Read more about this research.

Prof David Isaacs, Senior Staff Specialist in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, says evidence shows that children rarely get very sick from COVID-19. Listen to the podcast with Prof Isaacs speaking on COVID-19 and how it affects children, what happens if you're infected, flattening the curve, vaccines and more.  

There have been reports from overseas of a link between COVID-19 in children and Kawasaki disease, a condition which has been named Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome Temporally associated with SARS-COV-2 (PIMS‑TS). 

SCHN Paediatric Rheumatologist Associate Professor Davinder Singh-Grewal has co-written an article in The Conversation about COVID-19 and Kawasaki Disease.

The overall risk for any severe COVID-19 outcomes in children in Australian is extremely low and no cases of PIMS-TS have been identified in Australia at this time. 

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) has released a statement about the condition - read the statement here.

What to do if your child starts showing symptoms

The Australian Government's Department of Health website has information about symptoms.

If your child develops an unexplained fever, a cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, isolate them and seek medical attention.

Options for medical attention for children showing mild symptoms:

  • Your General Practitioner (GP)/doctor ( please call ahead)
  • COVID-19 Assessment clinic (no appointment required). See Assessment Clinic details for our hospitals.

Options for medical attention if your child is very unwell:

  • Take them to the nearest Emergency Department
  • Call 000

On arrival to any facility, you will be asked a series of questions and may be asked to wear a mask.

If you are unsure if your child should be tested for COVID-19 please call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

Assessment clinics for children

COVID-19 assessment clinics for children are operating at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick and The Children's Hospital at Westmead. 

Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick (SCH)

  • Open 10am – 8pm, 7 days a week
  • SCH, High St, Randwick - Ground level. Enter via George Gregan playground.
  • Please note, there is no access to the clinic from the hospital carpark (Point Parking) via Hospital Rd or through the Hospital. If you park in the hospital carpark you will need to walk along Barker St, turn left at Avoca St, left again at High St and left into Hospital Rd.  

The Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW)

  • Open 10am – 8pm, 7 days a week
  • CHW, Corner Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead - Outpatients, ground level
  • Enter via the entrance on your right as you come from the visitor carpark, before the main entrance of the Hospital. 

COVID-19 testing is now available for anyone with symptoms. Seek medical attention if you are experiencing a sore/scratchy throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath or other symptoms such as unusual body aches and pains, change in smell and taste or a runny nose.

You do not need to have travelled overseas or been in contact with someone who has coronavirus.
Contact your doctor (GP) or a COVID-19 Testing Clinic, or call 1800 020 080 (24 hours a day/7 days a week).

Advice for chronically-ill and immunocompromised patients

As a parent of a chronically-ill or immunocompromised child, it can be hard to know what to do amidst the COVID-19 pandemic where the situation and information is constantly evolving. Children with chronic health conditions can be more susceptible to infections, although it is not clear if this is the case with coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The current available evidence shows that infection with COVID-19 is milder in children than in adults. However, having a weakened immune system may make it harder for the body to fight infections such as this virus. Children who are chronically-ill or immunocompromised should take extra precautions to protect themselves where possible. For specific advice about your child's condition, please consult your treating team.

Updated advice for paediatric oncology and BMT patients during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the Australian & New Zealand Children's Haematology/Oncology Group website.

  • See our tips on preventing the spread of COVID-19 below.

Advice for families with booked appointments

In response to COVID-19, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network is reducing the number of people coming into our hospitals by restricting visitors to one parent/carer per patient and closing the hospitals to members of the public. These measures are in place to protect our patients, families and staff.

To further reduce the number of people entering our hospitals, we have limited clinic appointments to urgent appointments only. Other appointments are being rescheduled, or where possible, consultations are taking place via telephone or telehealth.

We are contacting all families with planned appointments to check if they are well enough to attend their appointment and to make sure no one is at risk when they come into the hospital.

If you have a telehealth appointment, there is a lot of useful information for patients and families about preparing for your virtual appointment on the Agency for Clinical Innovation website:

Information about elective surgery

Following the Prime Minister’s directive, from Monday 27 April, elective surgeries in Australian Hospitals were limited to Category 1, Category 2 and some important Category 3 elective surgeries. All other elective surgeries were postponed. We understand that many families are anxious to have their child’s surgery take place. We have begun making contact with families whose children require the most urgent surgery, to advise them of their new surgery date. Contact will continue to be made over coming weeks as more elective surgery recommences. Read more about elective surgery at SCHN.

If you are concerned about your child’s health, please contact your local GP or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. If your child is experiencing a medical emergency, please visit your local Emergency Department or call 000.

Preventing the spread of COVID-19

The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe during this time is to:

  • Wash your hands often - with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available.
  • Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are known to be unwell.
  • Cough/sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin.
  • Practice physical distancing - keep a distance of at least 1.5m between you and other people
  • Self isolate as much as possible and stay home from work or school if you are sick

Visit the NSW Health website for more information about how to protect yourself and others.

School and your child's health

It’s been a challenging time for parents, with many juggling work and the need to home school children.

With news that schools are gradually re-introducing physical classroom lessons, comes many questions on what should be done to keep kids safe from COVID-19.

A lot of resources are available to help answer your questions and are listed below. Research to date is clear: the spread of COVID-19 within NSW schools has been very limited, with data from the whole of NSW demonstrating that children (aged <19 years) represent 4% of all cases of COVID-19, despite being approximately 23% of the population.*

*National Centre for Immunisation and Surveillance (NCIRS) report - COVID-19 in schools – the experience in NSW

Government resources - Education and COVID-19 

Finding reliable information about COVID-19

To keep you and your family safe, it's important to refer to reliable sources of information. 

Wellbeing resources for children and families

Infectious diseases outbreaks like coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause a great deal of anxiety in the community. It is understandable to feel worried about the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if your child has a pre-existing health condition.

Feelings of unease are normal in this situation and for many families, this will be compounded by concerns for loved ones, social isolation and financial hardship.

Here are some resources for helping your children during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Revision log for this information

  • Updated 14 May 2020
  • Updated 5 May 2020
  • Updated 27 April 2020
  • Updated 15 April 2020
  • Published 3 April 2020