TABLE 1.
Awareness of COVID‐19 among parents of pediatric liver transplant recipients (n = 106)
| Questions | No. of Responses (%) |
|---|---|
| What are the main symptoms of Coronavirus infection (COVID‐19)? | |
| Fever | 100 (94) |
| Breathlessness | 91 (86) |
| Dry cough | 95 (90) |
| Wheezing | 30 (28) |
| Running nose | 48 (45) |
| Diarrhea | 36 (34) |
| Can an adult or child without any symptoms of the infection transmit the virus? | |
| Never | 13 (12) |
| Quite possible as they might be in the incubation period before onset of symptoms | 74 (70) |
| Not sure | 19 (18) |
| What are the modes of transmission of infection in COVID‐19? | |
| Direct (Droplet) infection by coughing/ sneezing | 99 (94) |
| Touching surfaces contaminated with respiratory secretions | 100 (94) |
| Kissing the baby | 78 (74) |
| Through the food you eat | 29 (27) |
| Which is the best means available at present to prevent COVID‐19 infection? | |
| Vaccination | 1 (1) |
| Antibiotic prophylaxis | 1 (1) |
| Avoid contact with other people and gatherings (social distancing) | 104 (98) |
| What is the impact of Coronavirus infection (COVID‐19) on your child? | |
| It has no effect on my child | 3 (3) |
| It affects children but not concerned as it is usually asymptomatic in children | 12 (11) |
| Concerned as my child is receiving immunosuppressive medications | 91 (86) |
| What are the precautions you are currently taking for your child in view of the COVID‐19 situation? | |
| Keep the child isolated in a room | 13 (12) |
| Keeping the child at home and minimizing contact with visitors | 93 (88) |
| Allowing him to play with friends in the park, but with a mask | 0 (0) |
| No restrictions | 0 (0) |
| How will you disinfect your child's hand if he/she had been in contact with the possible contaminated surfaces? (Multiple responses) | |
| Wash with running water | 2 (2) |
| Using soap and water for at least 20 s | 53 (50) |
| Alcohol based hand rub | 21 (20) |
| All are equally effective | 30 (28) |
| What will you do when your child has symptoms of flu such as fever, cough or running nose? | |
| Treat with home remedies which have been effective before | 6 (6) |
| Will contact my doctor or the transplant unit for advice | 92 (87) |
| Will start a course of antibiotics which was previously given for a similar infection | 1 (1) |
| All of the above | 7 (6) |
| What will you do with the immunosuppressant medications if you have flu like symptoms? | |
| Will stop the medications upfront as there is infection | 0 (0) |
| Will skip a few doses and restart when the child is fine | 2 (2) |
| Will consult transplant centre for advice | 104 (98) |
| Do you think routine blood tests (liver function test, immunosuppression levels) need to be deferred as there is a risk of contact with someone infected with COVID‐19? | |
| No, we don't feel there is a risk and routine tests can be done | 10 (10) |
| There is a definite risk and I want to defer the labs | 11 (10) |
| There is a risk, so will contact the transplant centre for advice | 85 (80) |
| Do you know which medicines are to be avoided in children with respiratory symptoms in the current scenario? (Multiple responses) | |
| Paracetamol | 16 (15) |
| Pain killers such as Ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin | 69 (65) |
| Antibiotics | 26 (25) |
| Immunity suppressing medications (does not include routine medication associated with liver transplant) | 50 (47) |
| Did your child have a respiratory illness in the last 4 wk which worried you because of the current COVID‐19 problem? | |
| Yes | 7 (7) |
| No | 99 (93) |
| Which medium do you commonly depend on for getting information regarding COVID‐19 problem? | |
| Television | 90 (85) |
| 54 (51) | |
| 34 (32) | |
| Newspaper | 58 (55) |
| Books | 8 (8) |
| Direct discussion with a doctor | 42 (40) |
| Others (if any) | 9 (8) |
| Which medium do you commonly depend on for getting information regarding safety precautions to preventing COVID‐19 infection in your child? (multiple responses) | |
| Television | 74 (70) |
| 47 (44) | |
| 28 (26) | |
| Newspaper | 48 (45) |
| Books | 8 (7) |
| Direct discussion with a doctor | 49 (46) |
| Others (if any) | 10 (9) |
| Please list up to five questions regarding the care of your child in the current COVID‐19 scenario which you believe are important | 72 (68) |