Common cold symptoms often found in children with delta strain of COVID

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Most schools in the area have returned to in-person learning this year, only to be forced into virtual learning again temporarily.

The U.S is seeing a rise in the common cold and COVID cases among children. Dr. Kevin Dahlman is the medical director for Aurora's Children's Hospital. He says parents shouldn't hesitate to get their children tested if they show any cold symptoms. 

Dr. Dahlman says common cold symptoms are often present in kids who have tested positive for COVID. While in the past those weren't thought to be symptoms of COVID, the delta variant is changing that. 

"That makes our job difficult. If we really have no clinical indicators to differentiate the COVID virus from other viruses that we're seeing," said Dr. Dahlman. 

Testing for COVID is available for children as young as newborns. 

"What could be just a runny nose and sore throat can sometimes be COVID," said Dr. Dahlman. 

While COVID symptoms are usually mild in children, they can still spread the virus to vulnerable people. That's why Dr. Dahlman says testing, and isolating when sick, are they only way to stay ahead of the virus, and to assure kids can continue to learn inside the classroom this year. 

"We've seen a lot of mental health issues on the rise, and we've seen learning for some kids to be very challenged as a virtual model, so we want to make sure we're doing everything we can as a community," said Dr. Dahlman.