UPDATE 7/19/22

In COVID news, we now have COVID vaccine for all kids ages 6 months and up!! Believe us, COVID is still very much in the community and will likely spike again in the fall so give us a call to schedule your child’s vaccine.

Here are the current pediatric recommendations for the COVID vaccine:

Ages 6 mo - 4 yr     

• Eligible for either Moderna (2 shots spaced 4 or more weeks apart)

• Or Pfizer (3 shots spaced 3 -8 weeks from the first and  then 8 or more weeks from the second)

• Our office carries both Moderna and Pfizer for this age range

Ages 5-11 yr           

• Eligible for primary series and Booster

• Pfizer primary series  (2 shots spaced 3-8 weeks apart)**

• Or Moderna primary series (2 shots spaced 4-8 weeks apart)

• Booster 5 or more months after second shot of primary series.

Ages 12 and up   

Same schedule for primary series and booster as above but dosed for age. Feel free to chat with your PCP about the COVID shot and boosters at your next visit!

 

**Our office currently only carries Pfizer for ages 5 and up (it was available first) though Moderna is an equally effective product.

 

Hope you are all enjoying a fun and safe summer! Keep up on the sunscreen and hydration!

 

Love, Your MiKids Team.

​

UPDATE 5/26/2022

Hello to our MiKids Families!
Summer is almost here and we thought we’d send along a little update.

 

Formula Shortage
We are sure you have seen the formula shortage in the news. We certainly hope this issue is short lived and we know there are shipments coming in, but here are some things to consider if you are running low:
 

• You CAN interchange formula brands and general types as long as your baby does not have a specific allergy or intolerance.

• DO NOT dilute formula or mix it in any way other than what is written on the can. Diluting formula can cause dangerous electrolyte shifts in infants and these can be fatal.

• DO NOT use home recipes to make formula. These do not contain proper nutrients and can be very dangerous.

• Ramping up solid foods (emphasizing a healthy, well rounded diet) after 9 months is a great way to decrease the need for formula.

• In a pinch, whole cows milk can be used for a short period of time but we advise not more than 1 bottle of milk (on its own or spread out over the day ) for infants 6-12 mo of age and not for more than a few days. If this issue persists and we will need to discuss nutritional supplements and further evaluation. Keep in mind that over 6 months, most infants don’t need more than about 24 oz of formula per day if they are also taking solids.

• You can buy formula on the internet but only from a trusted distributor.

COVID vaccines/ boosters
The FDA and CDC have now ok’d the COVID booster for ages 5-11 and we have it in stock! If your child had the primary series and its been 5 months since the last dose, call and schedule their booster shot ASAP. We have doses and slots available.  Keep in mind that the science is quite clear on this- COVID vaccines are safe, they save lives, decrease the spread, and decrease the severity of illness. Please consider getting your child vaccinated today if you have not previously done so. We do COVID vaccines daily for ages 5-11 and on Fridays for kids 12 and up.

The FDA is convening on the COVID vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years in June and we anticipate being able to offer that as soon as it is available. The effectiveness on these vaccines looks very good. We will send another email when we are able to administer it!

Have a happy and safe start to the summer this Memorial Weekend! And don’t forget the sun screen and bug spray!

Your MiKids Team

​

UPDATE 1/06/2022

We want to take this opportunity as we head into a new year to say thank you for being a part of our MiKids Family! We obviously could not do what we love to do without our amazing patients and their families! We appreciate you and the trust you put in our team and we will continue to do our part to keep you all healthy and happy. 

We do want to send a little update your way. The omicron variant of COVID is spreading quickly in Kent County and it is clear from early data that omicron is MUCH more contagious than any of the previous variants and the jury is still out on whether the corresponding illness is less severe but it looks to be the case. Regardless, this can pose a problem for the local hospitals which are still at capacity from our previous surge. So if you or your age eligible children (age 5 and up) have not been vaccinated, please get them vaccinated ASAP.  We understand that there may be hesitation with what feels like a fast turnaround for this vaccine but we assure you that all the same steps were taken as in any other vaccine trial - they were just done simultaneously as opposed to 1 after the other. 8.7 million doses of COVID vaccine have now been given in the 5-11 year age group across the country and it has performed very well and has been very safe. I came across this article posted from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the premier children’s hospitals in this country and it nicely summarizes various concerns and the data related to this. CLICK HERE 

The FDA and CDC have now added children age 12-15 to the list of those eligible for a booster as long as it has been more than 5 months since the second shot. Thankfully the booster has had a substantial impact on immunity even against the omicron variant. The issue is not simply keeping you healthy and out of the hospital, but keeping viral loads low which decreases the likelihood of spread to others. There is a significant difference in both severity of illness and contagiousness when you compare a vaccinated individual with breakthrough COVID vs an unvaccinated individual with COVID. We have been following local, state, and nationwide data and there is no question that vaccinating significantly decreases severity of illness and death. From the beginning we have been watching our local hospital data and routinely at least 94% of those in our ICU and on ventilators are unvaccinated so this vaccine is working at keeping the most serious illness at bay.  Call to schedule your COVID vaccine and booster today! 

Also we want to go over the recent isolation and quarantine guidelines from the CDC;  how these have changed and our current recommendations along with the recommendations from the Kent County Health Department. We know this has been confusing and frustrating!  And we want to point out that the new recommendations from the CDC require strict masking as a component and given the lack of mask mandates in local schools and the inconsistency of kids (and adults) wearing them in our community, we will be recommending 10 days quarantine for our patients. Isolation varies depending on vaccination status. KCHD has stated that these new CDC guidelines do not apply to childcare setting students K-12 or other congregate settings. 10 days is a much a safer option given the variables we are dealing with. But let’s break it down and go over the recent changes in CDC’s recommendation for isolation (you have COVID) and quarantine (you have been directly exposed to COVID) so that you understand them. 

Per the CDC, if you test positive for COVID, regardless of vaccination status, you are to isolate for 5 full days or 24 hours after fever and symptoms resolve (whichever is longer) and then strictly mask for 5 more days around all others. The KCHD (along with pediatric practices in the area) are still recommending 10 days for all pediatric patients and safer for all to do 10 days if you are able. 

Per the CDC, if you are exposed to COVID and you have been boosted or have completed the primary series in the last 6 months (Moderna and Pfizer) or last 2 months (J and J)  then you must mask around others for 10 days and test on day 5 if possible (or obviously test any time symptoms develop.) 

Per the CDC, If you are unvaccinated (or inadequately so as above) and have been in direct contact with someone who has COVID then you need to quarantine away from others for 5 days and then strictly mask for 5 more days. Again, the KCHD and our office are recommending 10 days. 

Here is a link to the school guidance (childcare is in the same category) for all of these scenarios: https://www.accesskent.com/Health/CommDisease/pdfs/K12-Covid19-Symptom-Testing-Protocol2021.pdf 

We still recommend masking for everyone age 2 and up in ALL situations where you are outside your “pod.” So masks should be worn in schools, stores, etc to mitigate the spread. Even if this most recent strain is milder, and we sure hope it is, people are still getting quite sick and the health care system can’t handle any increase in patients. 

And as we head into the winter months, know that we are doing our best here. The flow of patients has been heavy (and unpredictable) at times and our phone people are always busy so please be patient. If numbers go up quickly, especially if our staff fall ill,  we may need to reschedule well visits and focus on illness. Flu season got an early start this year so please come get your flu shot if you haven’t already. 

Lots of information here! Thanks for reading. Please stay safe out there and do your best to help others stay safe as well! 

Warmly, 
Your MiKids Team 

​

UPDATE 11/02/2021

Yippee! 

We have been watching the research and patiently waiting and today the CDC/ Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has approved the COVID vaccine for kids ages 5-11. We are excited for this opportunity to protect our patients as we believe strongly in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine. We have been in contact with the Kent County Health Department all along and once they receive their shipment (very soon) we will know when and how much vaccine we can look forward to receiving. In the mean time we are taking names via our portal (preferred) or you can call during business hours if you cannot access the portal. We will call to schedule you as soon as we know more. 

 

Please be patient with us- we want to get this rolling as quickly as you do but It has been quite a busy cold and flu season already (on top of COVID.) And if your child has not yet gotten his or her flu shot, there is no issue with getting flu shot and COVID shot at the same time. Let’s get everyone protected!

 

With love and hope,

Your MiKids Docs

​

UPDATE 8/26/21

Hi to our MiKids Families! 

And just like that, another school year is upon us…ready or not. 

We certainly hope all our amazing patients are heading to school healthy and ready to learn in person! 

And to keep you all healthy and learning in person we absolutely recommend masking in all indoor public spaces, including schools. We completely agree with the mask mandate recently put in place by our local health department and we will not be providing mask exemptions except in very rare circumstances (such as severe behavioral difficulties which make it impossible to keep a mask on.) There is no evidence that mask wearing worsens asthma, causes breathing problems, increases bacterial infections or causes recurrent headaches. There IS evidence that mask wearing helps prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses including COVID and given the transmissibility of the new delta variant of COVID, it is imperative that we do what we can to mitigate the spread. 

We totally understand that everyone is sick and tired of this and want things to return “normal” - believe us- we desperately want this too. Unfortunately we are in a worldwide pandemic and so “normal” is a ways off yet. We are grateful that kids still seem to be less severely affected with only 1% of children with COVID requiring hospitalization (though that 1 out of 100 is not a small number). However, since significantly more children are currently getting this delta variant (it is easier to catch) we are already seeing an uptick in cases in the area and there is significant concern that continued increases in numbers could overwhelm the children’s hospital. We all need to do our part to protect those around us with vaccination and with masking. We are offering Pfizer vaccine for our patients 12 and up on Fridays so call to schedule your appointment. 

We are also attaching the basic algorithms given to local schools outlining how to proceed if a child is exposed to COVID in any sort of school setting. Quarantine guidelines for kids age 12 and up vary depending on vaccination status. 

https://www.accesskent.com/Health/CommDisease/pdfs/K-12-COVID19-SYMPTOM-TESTING-PROTOCOL.pdf 

We will all get through this together! 

Sincerely, Your MiKids Docs 

​

UPDATE 7/21/21

Hi Again to our Mi Kids Families! We hope you are having a safe, joy-filled summer!

 

We thought we’d send along a Mi Kids/ COVID update as we hit the latter half of summer. 

 

We have certainly enjoyed a bit of a reprieve with lower COVID case numbers and lifting mask mandates this summer but this pandemic is far from over. The number of COVID infections is starting to rise again across the US and medical experts are predicting another surge in the fall. This surge will primarily affect unvaccinated individuals (which includes all our younger kiddos.) This is due to the emergence of the delta variant which is considerably more transmissible (catchy) and seems to be hitting our young adult and pediatric population more aggressively.  The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get vaccinated and get your kids 12 and up vaccinated! Our vaccines are very effective against the delta variant, which is great news. 

 

The current target for vaccine for kids under 12 looks to be late fall at the earliest with possible staged rollout based on age (youngest kids being last.)  So far the research looks very promising. We believe strongly in the these vaccines and are happy to answer your questions. They are very effective and the risks of vaccination are far lower than the dangers of natural infection. In addition the immunity looks to be longer and more predictable from the vaccine. We are now offering the Pfizer vaccine in our office on Fridays by appointment. This is the best way to protect both you and your family but also to protect the community in which you live and beyond.  Feel free to take a look at this mayo clinic page on COVID vaccine myths.  https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/featured-topic/covid-19-vaccine-myths-debunked.  Call to schedule your vaccination today!

 

We have had many questions about how to navigate safely with mask restrictions now lifted and some people vaccinated and some not (and our children under 12 without the option to be vaccinated.) This is a tough one and is essentially a matter of risk assessment. We know that there is less transmission if people are outside and are somewhat spread out. If inside, being around people that are fully vaccinated is considerably safer than being around those that are not. Masking is safer than not masking. 

Here’s a great article and graph written by an epidemiologist that goes over more specifics: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/navigating-kid-related-activities.

 

 

MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED FOR ALL VISITS TO OUR OFFICE. It is an OSHA requirement which is meant to keep you, your children, and our staff safe.  Please remember to bring your own as we have a limited supply.  

 

Stay safe!

​

UPDATE 6/21/21

Just a quick reminder that though the mask recommendations are lifting around Michigan as of tomorrow, June 22, healthcare facilities are still considered high risk and we will be continuing to require masks for all individuals  age 2 years  and up regardless of vaccination status.  MDHHS Recommendations available here  We are continuing to offer COVID vaccines at select times so if you are interested in having your child age 12 or older vaccinated with us, give us a call!

 

We are all in this together!

 

UPDATE 5/27/21

Hello to our Mi Kids Families, 

We hope you are enjoying the spring weather and the end of school year festivities. 

We are naturally getting a lot of questions about the COVID vaccine for pediatric patients and wanted to keep you up to date. 

STARTING NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE OFFERING APPOINTMENTS FOR COVID VACCINE HERE AT MI KIDS for patients ages 12 and up!  Due to the strict storage protocols in place for the available Pfizer vaccine, we will be offering limited appointments to start but as the need rises, we can open up more appointments. Call the office today to schedule! 

We are big believers in this vaccine! We have looked at the science and we believe this vaccine is safe for our pediatric patients,12 and up, and is very effective. We anticipate the same safety and efficacy in our younger pediatric patients but are awaiting the results of current trials. We also firmly believe that vaccinating those eligible 12 and up is the safest, best way out of this pandemic. If you don’t like quarantines, masks or COVID in general, then get the vaccine! 

We also wanted to go over some common misconceptions about this vaccine and its safety so here goes: 

1. COVID vaccine does NOT cause infertility. There is zero evidence that any of the COVID vaccines have any impact on fertility. (In fact, many women became pregnant during the trials and after.) 

2.  If you had COVID, you still need to be vaccinated. The immunity from natural infection is variable and does not seem to be long-lasting. We feel reasonably safe that there is some natural immunity for 3 months after natural infection, but you do not need to wait 3 months from infection to get the COVID vaccine unless you received a monoclonal antibody infusion for treatment of more severe COVID infection. 

3. We hear “it’s too new” as a common concern. Rest assured that the technology that was used for the mRNA vaccines has been in process for a long time (10+ years) but there was not significant need for it until the pandemic occurred. In addition all required steps were taken in testing of these vaccines, but instead of these steps being done one after the other (which is typical in standard vaccine development due to limited money/ time/ personnel)  some of the steps in the development of the COVID vaccine were done side by side. All steps were completed as required in rigorous scientific development and study. 

4. The vaccine is highly effective at preventing severe disease. This does not mean that you cannot catch COVID (though it is much less likely) or give it to someone else. So continue to do what you can to protect yourself and others. There is still plenty of COVID out there and we are seeing some significant long term affects in many of our families. 

For a more full discussion of the COVID vaccine and common misconceptions check out this link: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines-myth-versus-fact 

​

UPDATE 4/14/21

We are seeing a significant rise in COVID cases in our area, especially in younger adults and kids, and expect that to rise even further now after spring break travel. We are also seeing an uptick in COVID variants here in western Michigan.  We know you are all sick of the this- we are too! But this is not the time to let down our guard. We need to continue to be cautious- masking and distancing always while not with your immediate family/ small pod (unless everyone is vaccinated.) 

We are seeing some confusion regarding the quarantine and isolation guidelines so we thought we’d try to clarify here. If anyone in your household is being tested for COVID, ALL members of the household must stay home until that test is back and is negative (unless you have had the vaccine or positive COVID PCR test within 3 months.) If anyone in the household tests positive for COVID, the ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD (again unless vaccinated or positive test within last 90 days)  must stay home (no socializing, no shopping, school, non-emergent doctor visits, sports etc.) The length of the isolation of the person with COVID is 10 days from the start of significant symptoms. All other household members must quarantine for that 10 days plus an additional 10 - 14 days (if not vaccinated or had documented COVID within 90 days prior.) This is due to the fact that a person who is COVID positive can shed the virus for 10 days so could still get other household members sick even when they are getting better. It takes 10-14 days from last exposure to show symptoms or become positive thus the prolonged quarantine after. (And yes, we have seen kids get their first symptom 14 days after exposure to the virus.) 

We also want to make you aware, as youth sports are increasing their testing, many are using a rapid test. If the your child tests positive on a rapid test we highly recommend getting a PCR test to verify. There are 2 reasons for this. One is that there are more false positives on the rapid, so if the PCR is negative, they may be able to return to the sport (depending on symptoms.) Secondly, a positive rapid test is not adequate to be exempt from future testing and quarantining for the 90 days following. 

COVID vaccine: 
We firmly believe that vaccination is the only way out of this pandemic as it provides more reliable and longer lasting immunity than natural infection without the risks of severe COVID infection and its long term effects. And in Michigan, ages 16 and up can now get scheduled for the vaccine. You can go to www.vaccinatewestmi.com to schedule. 
And while there is no vaccine available currently for children under 16, studies are underway and we will likely have vaccine available for the 12-16 year olds by the start of the school year if not sooner. We will also likely see vaccine for 6 months and up by the beginning of 2022. We do not yet know if we will be getting doses of these vaccines in our office but we will keep you posted.

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UPDATE 10/26/20

Here is your friendly rallying cry to keep up the good work wearing masks, socially distancing and minimizing risk. We are seeing a significant increase in COVID activity around our area and in Michigan as a whole. So just when we are exhausted from the precautions, we need to ramp up our vigilance. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. The things we could get away with this summer will not work when there is more COVID in the community and it can spread quickly. If we want schools and businesses to remain open and we want to save lives, we need masks inside any space that is not our home, stay 6 + feet apart even when outside, avoid meeting with groups of people, especially indoors, and stay home if you have ANY symptoms of COVID (cough, loss of taste or smell, fever, chills, headache, extreme fatigue, body aches, sore throat, congestion/ runny nose, nausea/ vomiting/ diarrhea, shortness of breath.) We know this is a long list of symptoms but COVID can look exactly like a lot of common viruses, especially this time of year. For a quick reference to what to do if your child has symptoms suggestive of COVID or has been exposed click HERE. Please consult this before calling us as many questions are answered on our web site and our phones are quiet busy these days!

 

We get it. This is frustrating! Trust us, we are feeling it as well and we are here with and for you. 

 

We continue to preferentially schedule healthy patients in the morning to avoid our healthy patients being exposed unnecessarily to ill patients who tend to accumulate in our afternoon hours. If you have an afternoon well check or med check and wish to be rescheduled to the morning, please give us a call and we will accommodate you. And PLEASE if you or your child have any symptoms of COVID listed above at the time of your well visit call to let us know and we can either reschedule or make accommodations. We have different protocols in place for well and ill visits and coming for a well visit while ill puts us all at risk and we need to stay healthy to be here for you!

 

FLU SHOT:

We have FLU SHOT AND FLU MIST available now and are administering it every week day in the office as well as 2 currently scheduled drive through flu clinics on the evening of October 27 and morning of November 7. We had great success and had many compliments about the drive through option so try it out...quick and easy! These are all by appointment so call and make your appointment today! Diminishing the impact of influenza this season will certainly help us in the fight against COVID. 

​

UPDATE 9/15/20

We are now a week or more into the school year amidst a pandemic...crazy times... so we thought we'd try to give you an update about goings on and try to answer some of the questions we are getting frequently on our phones.

 

But before we do...everyone take a deep breath...we will get through this! 

 

COVID UPDATES

Though it feels like this has been going on too long already … just remember that every week that you or your family members stay healthy, the more we know about how this virus works (thus how to combat it) and we are closer to a vaccine. So keep up the diligent work of masking and social distancing at all times when you are not in the proximity of your family/ close circle. The smaller your circle, and the more cautious we all are, the less impact this virus can have on our community. 

 

Schools have been back in session to varying degrees around the area and as we head into what is the typical cold and flu season, it is important to know what protocols are being used when your child develops any illness symptoms. Click HERE to see the basic flow chart that we are following for children who have symptoms with and without known exposure. We are adhering to these guidelines quite closely so it would be good to familiarize yourself with them. Unfortunately, symptoms of COVID-19 overlap with the symptoms of many viral and bacterial infections we see this time of year, so we all need to be extra cautious.

 

With the COVID-19 protocols and concerns in play, you can imagine that our phones are ringing off the hook so please be patient with us. We are navigating novel territory here and there is a lot ot keep track of to keep you all safe. We ask that unless you need urgent advice, please call only during office hours from 7am – 5 pm M-F, 7-9:30 am Saturday and Sunday. We will continue to try to post information on our web site to help answer common questions as they arise in an effort to keep everyone informed. 

 

MASKS

We are getting a significant number of requests for mask exemptions for school and sports. We feel strongly that masks are a key factor in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and will not be granting these requests (there may be rare exception made for a child that has severe developmental disability and has tried and failed to mask for school and for whom virtual schooling is not an option.) Your kids are amazingly resilient and their ability to handle masking has a lot to do with how you present it. Make it fun and show them they are helping others. We do want to point out that right now, playing sports, especially contact sports, poses significant risk for COVID-19 and such participation is optional. Each family can judge that risk for themselves and their family. We will be abiding by current health statutes in our state. 

 

FLU

We adamantly recommend flu shots every year, but this year it is especially important. We are legitimately concerned that Influenza compounded by COVID-19 poses significant risk. We are working on adapting our flu vaccine clinics to accommodate COVID-19 safety precautions.

 

We now have flu vaccine (both shot and limited supply of mist) in office for most insurances so feel free to call and schedule your flu vaccine today. We are offering appointments during our regular office hours though these will be spaced out and we are having our patients call in from the parking lot to avoid waiting in the waiting room. You may also have the option to have the shot administered in the car, weather and child cooperation permitting. Our first FLU CLINIC will he held September 26 and will be a drive thru clinic BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. For this particular clinic we are scheduling children who will do well getting a vaccine in the car and we are asking that they wear short sleeve shirts and if they are under 8, have bare legs as well to ease access. There will be more information to follow so continue to check our web site for details. 

​

UPDATE 7/14/20

With a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases and concern in West Michigan and throughout the country we wanted to give you a little info on how we will be managing your COVID concerns here at MiKids Pediatrics for the foreseeable future. Our phones have been very busy with questions about exposure, testing, and symptoms so we very much appreciate your patience. To avoid a wait on the phones- take a look here for possible answers to your questions:

 

A few facts to keep in mind:

• We KNOW that masking and physically distancing at least 6 feet (for normal breathing/ conversation) significantly decreases the spread of the virus.

• Distancing of 6 feet is NOT adequate when exercising, singing, or yelling.

• Being outside is much safer than indoors but this does not mean it is safe, especially if closer than 6 feet. Wear a mask even outdoors if you are not sure you can distance properly. Always better safe than sorry!

• Testing is not even close to 100% accurate – and accuracy depends on when, during the course of illness and exposure, you are tested and which test is used. If we test too early, it is less accurate. And a negative test does not mean you don't have COVID or that you can't pass it to others so always be cautious.

 

If you have had a close exposure (< 6 feet for more than 15 minutes unmasked) with someone who is tested positive for COVID-19:

• Ideally we recommend quarantine (stay home...no school/work/daycare) for 14 days. This is the safest and is the best use of resources.

• We do not have the capacity to test asymptomatic individuals in our office at this time but can order it to be done at Spectrum, preferably 5-7 days after exposure ensures a more accurate test. We can order the test but needs to be scheduled via the COVID hotline at 833-559-0659 or check with the Kent County Health Department at https://www.accesskent.com/Health/covid-19-testing.htm. Rite Aid also offers testing. 

• See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html for more info.

 

If you are asymptomatic without any known exposure:

• We do not recommend testing at this time and do not have the capacity to do this at our office.

• If testing is required for camp/work/procedure we can order it to be done through Spectrum (again, you will need to call to schedule this yourselves) or call Kent Co Health Department or Rite Aid as above.

 

If you/ your child have had a close exposure and are showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (cough, fever, headache, body aches, inability to taste or smell, and sometimes diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain):

• If symptoms are mild and you are able to quarantine at home for the duration, please do so. We can help you navigate these symptoms but assume you have it. It is recommended that quarantine last until 3 days after symptom free or 10 days after onset of symptoms, whichever is LONGER. 

• We are happy to see you in the office or parking lot to evaluate symptoms and test for COVID- 19 if needed and have specific protocols to do so as safely as possible. Keep in mind that even if your test is negative, you should assume you have it and stay quarantined for 10-14 days.

 

If you/your child is having symptoms suspicious of COVID-19 but no known exposure, you have the option to keep an eye on symptoms at home, assuming they are mild, or if more worrisome, or we need to rule out other causes, please call to schedule an appointment at our office as above. 

 

A word on antibody testing:

We have had a significant number of calls from individuals wondering if they had COVID-19 earlier in the winter. We are able to order antibody testing through Spectrum (it is a blood draw) to see if you/ your child likely had the virus. Keep in mind that this does not mean that you cannot get sick from COVID again and the vast majority of antibody tests that we have been asked to do thus far have been negative, meaning that they did not have COVID earlier in the winter. 

 

UPDATE 6/25/20

Hey all! We thought we should give you a little COVID/ MiKids update since it has been a few weeks and things are opening up quickly around Michigan. We know this has been a challenging time in so many ways and we are here to help.

 

First and foremost, please know that though businesses including restaurants and salons are opening, school sports teams are starting up, and life LOOKS like it is going back to normal, the threat from COVID-19 is far from over. Our quick and thorough closure during Detroit's rise in cases kept us from surging in West Michigan but the virus is still very present. We are seeing evidence of this as many areas of the country that opened earlier than Michigan are now starting to see cases spike.

 

So to help you navigate these waters, we thought we'd take you through some of the MiKids Pediatrics COVID-19 FAQ's.

 

How do kids handle COVID-19?

We are happy to report that most children and young adults seem to have milder infections than their adult counterparts. There have, however, been severe cases involving inflammation of multiple organ systems in kids and this keeps us on our toes and very cautious! The symptoms of this include persistent high fevers, rash, abdominal pain with diarrhea or vomiting, swollen hands/ feet significant headache, conjunctivitis. Because these symptoms are striking and would typically worry a parent enough to call us regardless of COVID-19. So keep your eyes out, but no need to excessively worry.

 

Can kids give COVID-19 to others?

We do think kids can transmit the virus to others, even if the child does not have symptoms. So though they may not appear ill, they could give it to parents, grandparents or others at potentially higher risk (and as we mentioned kids aren't very good at socially distancing.)

 

What are known risk factors for worse outcomes in COVID-19?

We are learning more daily about risk factors but current known risk factors include advanced age, obesity, vitamin D deficiency and poverty. Persons with underlying health issues including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer are also at greater risk for severe outcomes.

 

Do masks really help decrease transmission of COVID -19?

YES!!!! Masks help decrease transmission! We know that early on there were mixed messages on the use of masks by the general public and this stemmed largely from concern over hoarding and low supply in addition to lack of knowledge about how the virus was transmitted. We now KNOW that use of masks decreases virus transmission but this works best when EVERYONE wears a mask. We know it can be inconvenient, but we all need to do our part to protect our community and each other.

 

Can wearing a mask cause health problems including issues with carbon dioxide?

No. Unless you have a medical condition specifically prohibiting mask usage, it poses no risk. And wearing a mask does not cause issues with carbon dioxide retention ...after all, our surgical teams wear them for a 8+ hours at at time without any issue.

 

Do I have to wear a mask to MiKids Pediatrics?

Yes. Masks are required in our office. We see many patients each day and need to keep our staff and other patients safe. Please bring your own masks. Masks are not required for children under age 2. And kids are pretty resilient and adaptive. If you model your mask or make it into a cool dress up gig, they will be all in!

 

Why do we need to stay 6+ feet apart?

There is clear evidence that social distancing decreases transmission of this virus. Transmission occurs most frequently when there is close contact involving talking, singing, yelling and, obviously, coughing or sneezing. Keeping a distance of at least 6 feet while breathing or quietly talking seems to be sufficient at reducing transmission of these particles, but when exercising, yelling, or singing, the safe distance increases quite a lot. So be careful at those sports camps!

 

Is it safe to send my child to daycare?

This is such a tough question for us and there really is no great answer. The bottom line is that daycare poses definite risk for transmission of COVID-19 because kids don't know how to socially distance and daycares are not set up to facilitate distancing. We do, however, completely understand the need for daycare as parents need to work! So assess the risks at your individual daycare and of your individual child. Is your daycare frequently cleaning the environment? Do they have a policy for children who are sick or parents who test positive? How many children attend the daycare? Is your child immune compromised or is a parent or other family member that is in regular contact with your child at high risk?

 

Should my family attend a gathering?

So this, too, is a matter of risk assessment. In addition to what is mentioned above, other factors to be included in risk assessment include:

• What is the size of the gathering? More people= higher risk

• How careful in masking/ distancing are those that you plan to gather with?

• Is there food at the gathering and how is it served? Potlucks pose the highest risk, especially if each person serves themselves. It is much safer to bring your own food or eat at home before you go.

• Is the gathering inside our outside? Inside clearly poses a greater risk for transmission.

• What will people be doing at the gathering? Any activity putting people in close contact with yelling/ singing/ exercising (including dancing) poses higher risk.

• How easy would it be to quarantine you or a family member if anyone were to get ill?

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What do I do if you or your child is ill?

Generally speaking, if you or your child have symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, fever/ chills, diarrhea, and body aches, then ideally all members of the household should stay home. We understand that this is not always possible and will try to navigate your individual situation. There are currently no firm guidelines on return to work/ daycare/ school, but we hope these will become more clear as we learn more about the virus. Current CDC recommendations do state that any person with a positive test should stay home for a minimum of 10 days after onset of symptoms or 3 days after fever resolves and symptoms are resolving- whichever is LONGEST. A person with symptoms but negative test should stay home until at least 72 hours fever free. Obviously we will help you navigate this...just give us a call. And know that these guidelines are evolving as we learn more.

 

I just had a baby...Can we have visitors?

I know we sound like a broken record here but this is also a matter of risk assessment. Having a few close family who have been socially distancing would be fairly safe and certainly use of masks would decrease risk further. Good handwashing is always important!

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We recognize that this pandemic is hard on everyone, but we will get through this! Take this time to slow down, enjoy your families, and some sunshine (with sunscreen, of course!)

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UPDATE 5/8/20

Hi MiKids Family, 

 

Welcome to what looks to be our new normal as we head into summer amidst Coronavirus. Summer at MiKids means sports physicals and school checkups (and some poison ivy... and an occasional injury)... and we will continue to work hard at keeping our environment safe and available for your pediatric needs! Throughout the summer, we are keeping our mornings devoted to healthy visits and will hold off on walk in hours to be able to control potential exposures. Summer can be a very busy time for checkups in our office and we want to accommodate you, so please call ASAP to schedule your visit (616)818-7454. Keep in mind that given parents' schedules and high volume, there may be some need to schedule some checkups in the afternoon. Rest assured, we use different scales, hallways and entrances for sick children, further limiting potential exposure. Our waiting room remains closed at this time. 

 

Please keep in mind that whenever the shelter in place order is lifted, this does NOT indicate that the virus is controlled or that it is safe to go back to “the way things were.” PLEASE wear a mask when you are in an enclosed public space, including our office (we currently require it), and even wear one when outside if there is any chance you will be in contact with others. Remember that when you are running or biking, your distance from others needs to be considerably greater to be safe. Masks are a way of primarily protecting others in case you have been exposed and not showing symptoms and decreases transmission considerably. Social distancing and frequent hand washing will also continue to limit the spread of the virus and keep you and your loved ones safe.

 

We have very limited COVID testing capability in our office so if you are concerned that you or your child may have Coronavirus, it may still be best to access one of the multiple testing sights around the city including through Spectrum Health. (The MedNow phone number to get an appointment for testing is 616-391-2380.) If you do get tested, please call us with your results as these don't typically get sent to us. Certainly we are available to help you evaluate symptoms and make recommendations regarding testing. We do hope to have more testing capacity in the future, including antibody testing, and we hope the reliabilitiy of these tests continues to improve.

 

We know this has been tough on our families in so many ways. We are seeing an increase in anxiety and depression in many of our patients so take care and lean on us if you need to. We are offering telemedicine visits to help you manage and most therapists around town (including the amazing therapists in our building) are offering telemed visits as well. A good dose of outside helps too! So be sure to get some sunshine (sunscreen applied, of course) and get them off their electronic devices!

 

We continue to offer telemedicine visits for various issues so be sure to ask if this is of interest.

 

Take care, all!

 

Love,

your MiKids Team

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UPDATE 4/23/20

Hi MiKids Family, 

 

We thought we'd send a little COVID-19/ MiKids update!

We continue to work to keep you and your kids safe!

As a medical profession, we are learning more and more about this virus, but we are certainly navigating some new waters with this one and it has posed its fair share of challenges.

 

Here are the bullet points...keep reading beyond for important details:

 

• Mornings are reserved for our well visits/ med checks/ video visits and injuries. Try to limit to 1 parent/ support person.

• No walkins until further notice (likely restart in the fall...sorry for the inconvenience)

• Please wear masks when coming in to our office even if healthy to keep others safe.

• There is no waiting in the waiting room – see below for details in checking in.

 

Symptoms:

The typical symptoms include fever (not always present in the first 1-2 days and may not be present at all), dry cough and shortness of breath but a wide range of symtoms have been reported, including sore throat, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, body aches, extreme fatigue, and, interestingly, loss of smell/ taste. Many people are entirely asymptomatic and children, in particular, tend to have lesser symptoms or are asymptomatic. This is why social distancing is so important, even from those that appear well, because anyone can be carrying this virus at any time.

 

Testing:

We still do NOT have the capability to test our patients for COVID-19 in our office. We are hoping that this is an option for us soon, but that is not in our control. As always, we are glad to go over symptoms with you and give you guidance as to whether you should be tested. Spectrum health continues to offer a free risk assessment on their COVID hotline (616-391-2380) to qualify for their testing. They have been able to widen their testing capability to include milder symptoms, especially as the number of cases increase in the area, which we fully expect in the coming weeks. If you or your child have been exposed and you are tested, please let us know your results. In the mean time, completely quarantine away from other family members to keep them as safe as possible.

 

What we are doing at MiKids:

In addition to regularly washing down all surfaces in our office...

 

-We continue to reserve our morning hours for healthy checkups and video visits to minimize any potential unecessary exposure to illness. If you are scheduled for a well visit and are experiencing fever, cough, congestion or other concerning symptoms, we ask that you call ahead and reschedule to minimize risk to all involved. As we move beyond the shelter in place order, we will likely still keep somewhat of this schedule to minimize everyone's exposure.

 

-We are seeing the majority of our ill visits in the afternoon but as a courtesy, if you think your child needs to be seen for an ill visit, please try to call in the morning or early afternoon so we can get you scheduled. We have somewhat limited staff in the afternoon and will likely be closing earlier if it continues to remain this quiet.

 

-Our waiting room is closed at this time. We have a dedicated staff member to bring patients right back to the room after arrival for well visits through the front door. If you prefer to check in over the phone and wait in your car, call 616-818-7926 (also on our web page) to let us know that you are here. All ill visits are asked to call 616-818-7926 from the parking lot to be brought directly into an exam room. When you call to schedule an ill appointment, you will be told which parking lot/ door you need to use. You will also may be asked to pre-register and give copays over the phone to avoid additional contact with staff and other patients.

 

-We are offering video visits for issues including mental health/ med checks, some rashes, and other complaints using the Care Convene app (see website to set this up on your phone) but keep in mind these do need to be scheduled by our staff at times when the docs are available. You will not be able to get a hold of a doc on Care Convene without having an appointment time in our schedule. We are also doing limited visits in the parking lot, weather permitting, for various complaints so feel free to ask about that option if this is of interest.

 

We'll keep you updated as we know more. Please stay safe, and when the shelter in place is lifted, please still use considerable caution. The lifting of restrictions does not mean that the virus is controlled so it is still safer to go out only when needed, avoid larger groups, socially distance and wear a mask.

 

Your MiKids team is here for you through it all!

 

UPDATE 3/20/20

It has been quite a week with day to day changes as we navigate how to serve you best. We are working hard to keep you, your kids, and our staff safe while managing the pediatric issues important to you all including the emergence of COVID-19 in our area. We so appreciate your patience in all of this.

 

One of our biggest changes is our ramp up of Telemedicine visits! We are offering virtual visits for an increasing variety of issues. We are moving our med checks to a virtual platform as well as many other visits including rashes, acne, as well as appointments for ADHD/ anxiety and depression. We are working to tailor many other types of visits to the virtual platform as well including sore/ strep throat with drive up strep test. Click here for instructions on how to load our Care Convene app which is the first step in our telemedicine visits. You do need to call our office to set up a telemedicine appointment. The app will allow you to make your own appointment but we cannot see this or use this on our end. You need to call the office, set up an appointment time and billing and insurance information will be taken on that call as these visits still go through your insurance.

 

Obviously it is challenging to listen to a chest or check ears virtually so if there are sufficient concerns about breathing or ears or other concerns, we will generally want you to come into the office knowing that we are keeping people separated and are cleaning extensively. For these ill visits, we are asking people to call from the parking lot to be brought directly to a room by our staff. The number we have dedicated to this is 616-818-7926. (Please DO NOT call this number for medical advice.) We need to handle what we can in an attempt to keep you OUT of the urgent care/ ER where they are overwhelmed as it is, and the potential for coming in contact with other sick people is high.

 

We are still seeing our well checks but we are scheduling them in the morning hours to avoid contact with any sick kids. So if you have a checkup scheduled but your child has cough/ congestion/ fever, we request that you let us know ahead of the visit so that we can schedule accordingly. If you are not planning on coming for your well visit, please let us know. In addtion, we have essentially closed our waiting room and bringing patients back immediately. You have the option to call from your car (616-818-7926) to let us know you are here to avoid standing at check in.

 

At this point, weekend hours will work as they always have with phones on at 7 to triage and schedule if you need to be seen. There may be options for telemedicine visits and we will be using our back entrance for many visits depending on complaint. We ask that you call 616-818-7926 when you arrive in the parking lot so we can let you know when we are ready for you or someone will come and get you.

Thanks so much for your patience and understanding as we navigate this pandemic. 

 

UPDATE 3/17/20
A few updated facts to keep in mind as we move forward.

• Recent evidence suggests that people are contagious as many as 4 days before showing ANY symptoms. This is why social distancing is so important even if everyone seems healthy.

• Though there are only 5 cases reported in Kent County, there are likely many more positives out there which will show up as testing is just getting ramped up. We do not have the ability to test here at the office at this point, so if there is true concern of exposure to COVID-19 and symptoms, you may call Spectrum Health's MedNow hotline at 616-391-2380 to be screened and potentially tested.

• We get a lot of questions regarding play dates and travel. Until further notice, we do not recommend play dates or any travel – whether driving or flying. We know this is so very hard and we, too, have had to change many plans because of this pandemic.

• We want to keep our patients in the loop regarding COVID-19; what you can do to help protect yourself, your family and your community as well as what you can expect from us at MiKids Pediatrics. We will continue to post significant changes via email (if you do not get our emails, feel free to sign up below) and on our web page.

 

COVID-19 has presented some unique challenges due to the quickness of its spread, its relative severity, and our lack of testing and treatment options. The good news is that it does not seem to affect our pediatric population as severely as it affects the older population and those with chronic conditions. But children can still catch it and transmit the virus and it might only look like a cold at first so prevention and precautions are critical.

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Updates on our process

 

Designated well and sick times:

We are changing our schedule to accommodate only wells (check ups) until 11 am with no illness visits until after 11. For the foreseeable future, there will be NO WALK IN hours. This is in an effort to keep our check ups in a relatively germ free environment and ensure that our young babes are able to get their vaccines without crossing paths with potentially ill patients. If you absolutely cannot make the earlier checkup times and need an afternoon check up or medication check, just be aware that you will have more potential exposure. The same is true for allergy shots. We are attempting to put all healthy patients in need of allergy shots into our morning hours to avoid unecessary exposure. If you wish to reschedule your well, med check or allergy shot, just give us a call and we will be happy to do to so.

We also have the capability of doing e-visits through the care convene app and are happy to meet with you this way for things that might not require testing or the actual patient to be present. Just call to schedule a telemedicine visit and we will take care of it! Note that our ill visits with cough, congestion, fever will likely be asked to come through our back door.

 

Phones:

Our phones have been quite busy, as you can imagine. Please continue to be patient with us. If there is known exposure with COVID-19, you may contact the Spectrum Health MedNow hotline at 616-391-2380 to see if you qualify for testing. We are not sure if we will be given tests to administer here at our office or not but will let you know if/ when this happens. If your child has a fever and cough, but is stable, meaning they are are not breathing fast or working hard to breathe, then it is fine to watch them and just treat symptomatically. If you are concerned about an ear infection, we recommend waiting 24-48 hours since recent evidence suggests that as many as 50% of ear infections get better without antibiotics. If you are concerned about pneumonia, ear infection (more than 24-48 hours), strep throat (significant sore throat, typically without congestion/ cough for more than 24 hours) or prolonged fever (more than 5 days or higher than 104.5 F), we are here to help and have sick hours and halls designated here in our office for these issues. These guidelines are in an effort to minimize any needless exposure for you and your child.

 

Masks:

There is a shortage of masks world-wide and our supply is limited as well. The standard masks are meant to avoid the person wearing it from spreading anything. They do not seem to prevent a person from getting the virus. So if you or your child is feeling at all ill (even just the sniffles) and you have a mask at home, please put it on before entering our facility. If you do not have one and are potentially contagious, we will give you one as you enter. Let us know if you have access to masks that you are willing to donate or sell to us.

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We are here to help, but here are some things you need to know regarding our office and Coronavirus:

 

• We are CLOSING our current walk in hours until further notice in order to better triage what is coming through our doors.
   

• We do NOT currently have the ability to do Coronavirus testing at our office and testing around the state is limited. Tests are currently being done through the CDC/ Health department in their offices and on hospital campuses and only in certain situations. Possible exposure or mild symptoms will not warrant testing at this time.
   

• If you are concerned that you or your child have been exposed to this virus, please take extra precaution to isolate from others and we advise symptomatic treatment. The time from exposure to illness is estimated to be 2-7 days. The symptoms are typically fever (not always in the first 1-2 days), dry cough, and shortness of breath. Some have experienced diarrhea. Nasal congestion and sore throat are common as well. These symptoms are typical of so many viruses we see this time of year, and we have no way to test , so if you or your child are sick, please stay away from others (especially the elderly or those with other illness) and treat symptomatically.
   

• We want to do whatever we can to help, but suspicion or mild symptoms of Cornovirus are not reasons to be seen in the office. This will potentially endanger other patients and staff and there is nothing we can do at this time other than supportive care.
   

• Please be patient with our phone staff. We have extra people working phones, but our volumes are high and resources limited. Please do your research about what needs to be called in/ seen.

 

When to call

• fever above 101 for more than 5 days

• difficulty breathing/ shortness of breath (not related to elevated temperature)

• significantly worsening cough

• if you are suspicious of strep throat or ear infection – but would watch for a day or so especially with ears as these can get better on their own and a trip in to the office may pose more risk than necessary.

 

• We will likely be moving some of our visits to telemedicine option upcoming so be on the alert for this.
   

• We will be wearing masks for respiratory visits and may ask that you or your sick child wear one to contain spread, so please prepare your child in advance so that they are not frightened.
   

• Yoga classes are cancelled at this time until further notice. We will be offering makeup classes in the future.

 

Wash your hands often and thoroughly. Washing your hands with soap for 20+ seconds is always better than hand sanitizer but use sanitizer when washing is not available. For more information on prevention see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html

 

Please don't panic but be cautious. The school and business closings are to limit the spread, and allow the health care system to keep up with the severely ill.

 

See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html for general updates on Coronavirus and other helpful links.

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