MANILA - Parents are advised to bring their children to hospitals when they experience high fever and difficulty in breathing, the Philippine Pediatric Society said Monday.

Some 10 percent of the country's 1.7 million COVID-19 cases are children, the Philippine General Hospital earlier said.

• Majority of children at PGH recover from COVID-19: spokesman

Children must be taught to wear masks and wash their hands using soap and water or use sanitizer or alcohol, according to Dr. Cynthia Cuayo-Juico, pediatrician and fellow at the Philippine Pediatric Society.

"Stay muna tayo sa bahay ngayon. Maging listo kayo kung may mga lumalabas at nagkakaroon ng symptoms kasi dyan tayo nahahawa," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

(Let's stay at home for now. Be vigilant if there are members of the household who go out and acquire symptoms because that may be the reason for getting infected.)

Parents must be on the lookout for the following symptoms, especially if any of the household members go outdoors or have been exposed to COVID-19:

• cough
• fever
• colds
• diarrhea

They must also recall if their child has been vaccinated against flu or pneumonia, according to Cuayo-Juico.

"Ano ang mga sintomas para siya ay dadalhin sa ospital? Pag ang fever ay ayaw bumaba, magkakwarenta na at 3 araw na ang fever, Pangalawa, nahihirapan na ho siya huminga," she said.

(What are the symptoms that a child must be brought to a hospital? When the fever does not go down and has gone on for 3 days. Secondly, when they experience difficulty in breathing.)

If a child has fever, they must be given plenty of water, paracetamol, and be kept cool, Cuayo-Juico said.

"Huwag na huwag tayong magbibigay ng antibiotic. Ang virus po ay hindi nakukuha sa antibiotic," she said.

(Don't give them antibiotics. It doesn't work for virus infections.)

"Hindi dapat balutin pag mainit. Punasan mo lang ng tubig galing sa gripo," she added.

(They should not be covered. Wipe their skin with tap water.)

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