Growing cases of COVID-19 in the St. Louis area include a growing number of school-aged children. Although the vast majority of children recover without complications, certain risks exist, the most serious of which involve inflammation of the heart.

To help parents and pediatricians make decisions about returning children to their normal activities after COVID infection, experts at Mercy Kids have developed a “Back to Play” process based on American Academy guidelines. of Pediatrics and the contributions of pediatric cardiologists from Mercy. The process varies depending on the child’s age and whether the illness was severe, mild, or asymptomatic.

According to the guidelines, children under 12 who are asymptomatic for 14 days can generally be allowed to fully participate in sports and other activities without further screening required. For children 12 and older, experts at Mercy recommend a more gradual return to physical activity. A downloadable return-to-play flowchart showing this process is available online at Mercy.net/newsroom.

“Regardless of the severity of the COVID infection, it is important that any child who tests positive is cleared by a primary care physician,” said Dr. Joe Kahn, president of Mercy Kids. “It can be extra comfort for parents to make sure everything is okay. “