Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQ

The most important thing that we can all do to interrupt the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. FIGHT is offering vaccines to our patients. Call your provider, or go visit the Phila.gov to find a location offering vaccines.

A Booster shot is an additional dose of vaccine after someone has received their initial vaccine series (either 2 shots of Moderna or Pfizer or 1 of Johnson & Johnson).

The current recommendation for availability to begin to roll out to the public is September 20. The initial recommendation was 8 months after your second shot. But, this recommendation appears to be changing to shorter intervals. The Biden administration plans to propose that the interval be 5-6 months after the initial vaccination series for the general public. Officially not everyone will be eligible at the beginning of this period. Stay tuned; we will update you in this space.

The strong preference is that you receive the same vaccine as the booster as you did for your initial series (at this time, either Moderna or Pfizer). For those that received Johnson and Johnson as their first shot, there will be a recommendation in the very near future, according to news reports.

Recent data suggests that the level of immunity that people get after their initial vaccine series declines after about 6 months. This might mean that although you would still have some protection from getting sick if you were exposed to COVID-19, there might be an increased chance that you could get COVID-19 the further away you are from your initial vaccine. This might be particularly true if you have a reason to have a problem with your immune system, like if you are taking medicines or have a medical problem that affects your immune system.

There do not appear to be any new side effects related to the booster. Just as after the initial vaccines, there can be some low-grade fever, muscle aches, and headache that can last for a day or so. Any side effects may be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

You can either go to the same site on a different date, or to another site altogether, and we will be happy to work with you. If you have questions, contact us at 267-668-4202.

Yes, we vaccinate children ages 12+ at all of our sites. However, minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to be vaccinated. Please contact us with questions at 267-668-4202.

Note that we cannot vaccinate children under 12 at this time, as there is not yet any COVID-19 vaccine approved for younger children.

The only way to get rid of this virus is for all of us to work together. That means that we all need stay in our homes and stay at least 6 feet away from others. Avoid large crowds, and definitely avoid other people who are sick. Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching door knobs or riding public transportation.  Please call us at 215-525-8600 or email us at pediatrics@fight.org for more information about how to avoid getting sick. 

We still don’t have enough supplies to test every child who is sick. However, most children do not need to be tested. To determine if your child is eligible to be tested please call us at 215-525-8600. 

COVID-19 is spread when small droplets of fluid from the mouth, nose, or eyes of a sick person comes in contact with the mouth, nose or eyes of another person. The infection can spread very easily when one person coughs or sneezes into the air without covering their mouth. The infection can also spread by objects.  For example, if a sick person touches their mouth and then a door knob, they have just put droplets of fluid onto the door knob. Then when another person touches that doorknob they can also get sick. Even if you don’t feel sick you could spread the infection to another person, so please be sure to cover your mouth when coughing.  

Symptoms can last for a week, but you can still spread the infection to other people for up to 14 days!

The best way to protect others in your home is to avoid them if possible. Wash your hands as many times as you can. Cough into your arm (not your hands!). 

If you know you have been exposed to someone who has had COVID-19, regardless of whether or not they had COVID-19 symptoms, you should:

1. Get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible.
2. You should stay in quarantine, meaning that you stay home for 14 days since your last contact with someone who has COVID-19. Stay away from other people as much as possible.
3. Watch for symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath, and new loss of taste or sense of smell.

“Exposed” means that you were with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms or who has tested positive for COVID-19, within 6 feet, and for more than 15 minutes.

You can find more information on the website for the Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health

FIGHT has staff fluent in English and in Spanish. And, with the help of a language translation service, we are able to offer testing in a variety of additional languages.

No. You should be careful, but you should not panic. COVID-19 is generally very mild in children and in healthy young adults, but it can really dangerous for the elderly or for those with serious medical conditions (like serious heart or lung disease or a weak immune system).  If you would like to speak with one of our providers about your specific concerns please call us at 215-525-8600 or email us at pediatrics@fight.org. 

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• Cough
• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Muscle pain
• Loss of taste/smell

These symptoms may vary; some people experience no symptoms at all.

Your COVID-19 test results are kept confidential. However, please note that if you are positive for COVID-19, we will have to inform the Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health, and you will be contacted for contact tracing. Contact tracing is the most important tool we have to stop the spread of COVID-19, so please answer the call from a City of Philadelphia contact tracer!

Case investigators and contact tracers will never:

• Release information collected from COVID-19 tests or by our contact tracing staff to any law enforcement agencies, including ICE.
• Ask about your immigration status.
• Tell a contact who gave us their contact information.
• Ask for Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or bank account numbers.

A health department contact tracer will:

• Call from (215) 218-XXXX.
• Text from (833) XXX-XXXX or (855) XXX-XXXX.
• Offer to have you call us back using the number on the City’s website (215) 685-5488.
• Only send email messages from a phila.gov or dimagi.com address.

Learn more about contact tracing.

Coronavirus (COVID 19) is a new infection and it is very contagious. Children and young adults don’t usually get too sick, but elderly people and people with severe medical conditions can get very sick.  Currently we do not have a vaccine for this infection.  In most people the infection will go away on its own without treatment. Call us at 215-525-8600 or email us at pediatrics@fight.org if you would like more information. 

Most of the time no treatment is necessary. You can try Tylenol for fevers, give lots of fluid, rest, and avoid other people (so that you don’t get them sick). Children who are very sick will need to go to the emergency department. 

The most common symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Usually these symptoms are very mild. Sometimes children can also have vomiting or diarrhea. Some children can be infected and not even know it!

Your child can return to school or daycare after 14 days. 

Call us (215-525-8600) or go to the emergency room immediately if your child is having breathing difficulty or if they are unable to drink enough fluids, or if they look very weak. 

The World Health Organization has an excellent website: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses 

Call us! 215-525-8600 or email us at pediatrics@fight.org or contact us through your patient portal!

Visit any of these websites to learn more:

• FIGHT’s COVID-19 FAQ Page, created by FIGHT Pediatrics
• FIGHT’s collection of infographics, from the CDC and other reputable sources
• The Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health’s COVID-19 Homepage
• The PA Dept. of Health’s Coronavirus in Pennsylvania Homepage
• The CDC’s Coronavirus Homepage

Getting a COVID-19 test is the only way to confirm whether or not you have COVID-19. You may need a COVID-19 test if:

• You have symptoms of COVID-19
• Someone you live with, or who you have spent time with, has tested positive for COVID-19, and/or has COVID-19 symptoms
• You need a negative test result to return to work or school, or to travel
• It’s been a while since you’ve had a COVID-19 test, or you have never had a COVID-19 test
• You want to know your COVID-19 status, for any reason