Kid Care – Where do I go with a sick or injured child?
What symptoms to watch for, how to provide care at home, and when to visit your doctor, a clinic, or the Children’s Emergency Department.
How to care for your child during respiratory virus season
What is Fever?
What symptoms to watch for in addition to fever?
How do I know whether I should let a fever run its course vs. medicating?
How many days of fever should I be treating at home?
How do you know if it is RSV or a cold?
Is there an RSV vaccine?
Is it safe for children who have or are getting over a respiratory illness to play outside in colder weather?
Should you give cough/cold medication to a child under 6?
At what point should I bring my child to the ER?
What does it mean if a child seems to get better, then takes a turn for the worse a day or so later?
At what point do you seek medical advice if children have a persistent cough?
With respiratory viruses circulating, it’s important to know what symptoms to look for and when to seek help.
Where you go will depend on your child’s symptoms as well as where you are located. Many common cold and flu symptoms can be safely treated at home, or with a visit to your doctor, a walk-in clinic, or urgent care centre.
Having a sick or injured child can be scary and overwhelming. Knowing where to go BEFORE your child becomes sick or injured can help you make the right decision when they need care.
HSC Children’s Emergency often sees a large number of patients that could be carefully monitored and managed at home, or treated by a primary care provider or in a Walk-in Connected Care Clinic. Knowing Where to Go may save you a trip – or a long wait.
Caring for Common Symptoms at Home
Fever is a natural response to infection. Fever is not dangerous and a higher temperature does not mean that the infection is more serious.
You do not need to treat fevers with medicine. Cool your child by dressing them in light clothing. Offer extra fluids. Breastfeed more often or offer cool water or drinks.
Keep the room cool, use a fan if you don’t have air conditioning.
Fever medicine can be used when your child is uncomfortable with fever, if your child is very sleepy or lethargic with a fever, or if they also have pain.
With the current limited supply of cold and flu products for children, speak to your pharmacist about the right dose for your child.
Your family doctor, pediatrician, or clinic is able to care for many of your child’s less urgent health issues.
Family doctors and pediatricians see high patient demand, especially during respiratory virus season. They are working hard to offer appointments to those in need and if they are not able to see you/your child, they may direct you to a walk-in clinic or urgent care centre.
If you don’t have a family doctor or clinic, a walk-in clinic may be an option for you.
Extended Hours Primary Care Clinic
Extended Hours Primary Care Clinics (EHPCC) are ideal for anyone with pressing medical concerns when your family doctor or health care provider are unavailable. EHPCC are also ideal for anyone who may not have a family doctor. They’re open in the evenings, on weekends, and even holidays.
Clinics are open from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 1:30 to 11:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
A walk-in clinic or family doctor can care for many common childhood illnesses and injuries. Locations and hours may vary, with some availability into the evening hours and on weekends.
Medimap.ca has the wait times and contact information for many Winnipeg walk-in clinics, and in some cases offers the ability to book an appointment online.
Walk-In Connected Care Clinics (WICCCs) are available on a walk-in basis to meet your unexpected health care when it may be difficult to see your regular care provider.
Walk-In Connected Care is provided by nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses who will directly communicate and connect back to your regular care provider if required.
Primary care providers at Walk-In Connected Care Clinics are trained to meet the needs of common childhood illnesses and injuries and have access to a pediatrician on call for additional support or guidance when required.
Minor Illness & Injury Clinicsoffer primary health-care services and support for minor health-care concerns that may not require a trip to an Emergency Department or Urgent Care Centre.
The clinics are staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses who provide primary health-care services and support for minor health-care concerns. Same-day appointments may also be available.
Urgent Care
Urgent care centres in Winnipeg are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Staffed by doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals, urgent care centres are equipped to address urgent, but not life-threatening concerns, including for children.
See Urgent Care for things like:
illnesses or injuries that cannot wait for you to see your family doctor
fevers, flu symptoms, rashes or infections
dehydration
cuts that won’t stop bleeding
injured limb that might be broken or sprained
any other urgent, but not life-threatening, conditions
Like emergency departments, Urgent Care centres see patients based on their medical need, not order of arrival, so you may have to wait but you will be cared for and able to access services that aren’t available in many doctor’s offices, like stitches.
For any emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, paramedics and the clinical teams working in emergency departments across Manitoba are able to address the most serious and life-threatening health issues.
In Winnipeg, HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital offers the most specialized care for children and infants from across Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut.
Call 911 or go to your closest Emergency Department if your child has any of the following symptoms:
Difficulty breathing
Periods of holding breath/not breathing/slowed breathing
Increased breathing (more than 60 breaths per minute)
Excessively tired or difficult to wake up
Sudden confusion
Change in colour of nail beds, hands, lips, or face
Inconsolable infants – crying that won’t stop or is painful sounding
Not peeing
Poor feeding – refusing or unable to eat or drink
Infant younger than 3 months with a fever
If your child’s issue is not life-threatening, you may wait longer at an emergency department – including HSC Children’s - because more serious cases will be given priority.
Virtual care provides health-care services remotely through digital technologies, allowing patients to consult with health-care providers via video calls, phone calls, or online messaging in their home.
What services can be provided remotely?
Requests for prescription refills (for non-controlled medications) in between visits with your primary doctor.
Requests for medical advice when your primary doctor or nurse practitioner is unavailable.
QDoc Virtual Healthcare provides 24/7 virtual care support in Manitoba.
The Mental Health and Wellness Resource Finder provides a number of mental health, wellness and addictions supports and resources for you and those you care about. Resources for youth and adolescents are highlighted in green.
If the person will attend VOLUNTARILY: Call the Mobile Crisis Service at 204-940-1781 or go to the Crisis Response Centre at 817 Bannatyne Ave.
If the person is NOT VOLUNTARILY getting help: Call 911 or visit an Emergency Department.
If your child has missed any steps on the regular immunization schedule, talk to your doctor or call Health Links – Info Santé about how to catch up (1-888-315-9257). The varicella vaccine and MMRV vaccine protect against chickenpox – both are approved by Health Canada and provided at no charge by MB Health.
Chickenpox is very contagious. Varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox and spreads quickly through the air (coughs & sneezes) and through contact with an infected person. You can be infected by sharing food or drinks with someone who has chickenpox, kissing or sharing cigarettes, or touching the fluid from a blister. Chickenpox can be serious for adults, pregnant people, premature babies, and people who have immune system problems that make it hard for the body to fight infection.
Measles is highly contagious and characterized by a blotchy, red rash. The measles virus spreads through close, personal contact with someone who is infected and through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can be spread by droplets that can stay in the air for several hours. An infected person is contagious and able to spread the virus from four days before the rash appears to four days after. The infection can result in serious illness or death.
Prevention
Immunization is the best protection against measles. The measles vaccine is offered free-of-charge as part of Manitoba’s Recommended Routine Immunization Schedule and to those who meet Manitoba’s eligibility criteria.
If your child has missed any steps on the regular immunization schedule, talk to your doctor or call Health Links – Info Santé (1-888-315-9257).
If you are planning to travel with an infant between 6 months and 12 months of age, talk to your health care provider about early measles vaccination.
Symptoms
Symptoms begin to appear 7-21 days after being exposed to the virus. Initial symptoms may include fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, irritability, and red watery eyes. Small white spots may also develop on the inside of the mouth or throat. The characteristic red, blotchy rash can appear three to seven days after the initial symptoms (on average 14 days after exposure). The rash typically begins on the face and progresses down the body.
Measles infection can lead to complications, including ear infections, pneumonia (lung infection) and encephalitis (brain inflammation) that can lead to seizures, brain damage, or death. Measles occurring during pregnancy has been associated with miscarriage, premature delivery, and babies born with low birth weight.
Treatment
There is no cure for measles. Current treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms. While measles symptoms can be more severe in patients who are deficient in Vitamin A, there is no role for treating measles with excess doses of Vitamin A.
If symptoms develop, isolate at home and contact your health-care provider and advise them of your potential exposure to measles. Please call ahead so health-care staff can take steps to reduce the exposure of other people to the virus.
If you purchased an “Every Child Matters” Orange Shirt Day shirt from the online store and identified HSC as your shipping location, your order will be available for pick-up on:
Days: Wednesday, September 18 and Thursday, September 26
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Outside of Volunteer Services MS208
Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority
Orders shipped to IERHA for distribution via internal courier will be processed within one business day and internal courier is typically a two-day turnaround from receipt of a package.
Individuals expecting orders will be contacted via the information provided to advise their shipment is on the way and where, in the facility they identified, they can pick it up.
Northern Health Region
All individuals will be contacted by members of the Northern Health Region regional office team when their order is ready for pick up.
Pick up locations for each facility can be found below:
Northern Health Region
Regional Office, Flin Flon
84 Church Street
Flin Flon, MB R8A 1L8
Contact: Shannon Meyer
(204) 687-1300
Northern Health Region
Regional Office, The Pas
163 Edwards Avenue
The Pas, MB R9A 1K4
Contact: Debra Prince
(204) 627-6800
Northern Health Region
Regional Office, Thompson
867 Thompson Drive South
Thompson, MB R8N 1Z4
Contact: Michell Thorne
(204) 677-5380
Southern Health – Sante Sud
Orders shipped to SH-SS for distribution will be sent via internal courier to the facility identified. If you do not work in that facility, your package will be addressed to you and rerouted via internal courier to your facility . There is typically a three day turnaround for internal courier services.
CancerCare Manitoba
All individuals will be contacted by a member of the CancerCare Manitoba admin team for instructions when their order is ready for pick up.
Prairie Mountain Health
All individuals will be contacted by a member of thePrairie Mountain Health Central Dispatch team with instructions when their order is ready for pick up. To make arrangements contact: Philana Dumas-Wiebe, [email protected] or phone 204-578-4752
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority More information coming soon…
As Shared Health continues to grow and evolve, so does our need to remain reflective of the communities we serve including the language and acronyms we use to describe our patient populations and members of our workforce. We remain committed to improving our health care system, by learning and adapting in new ways to provide an environment that is free of judgement, equally safe and inclusive.
Ensuring our language is consistent with how patient communities identify themselves is an important part of this. That’s why we update and review our resources and materials regularly to better reflect and align with our 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. The acronym 2SLGBTQQIA+represents those who are two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and all other sexual orientations and genders.
We know that language is fluid and is continuously redefined over time. These terms and acronyms may be used differently by individuals in various ways depending on how they identify and the context. People will also have different understandings of their identity and it is up to individuals to decide what their identity means to them. If you are unsure of how someone identifies, asking which pronouns they use is respectful and good practice.
In Manitoba, a survey and report on experiences of racism by First Nations peoples in the health care system was developed and published by Southern Chiefs Organization.
University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences has an Office of Anti-Racism and has created a Library Guide with links to many resources.
The Black Health Education Collaborative is a community of scholars and practitioners committed to improve Black health and addressing anti-Black racism.
Resources for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Racism has a negative impact on mental health. Resources are available to health care workers across Manitoba.
Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations has developed a Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour Mental Health Resource List, available here.
Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24/7 offering support for Indigenous people across Canada by phone at 1-855-242-3310 or online.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers support 24 hours a day, including culturally-sensitive services in more than 200 languages, including Indigenous counsellors and an Indigenous Resource Consultant able to assist clients in connecting with an Elder or seeking other culturally appropriate healing services. More information about EAP is available here.
Action
In Manitoba, a recent commitment to eliminating all forms of Indigenous-specific racism in healthcare was made by organizations serving Northern Manitoba. Read the declaration here.
Visit the Shared Community page and find out how reflecting and celebrating the diverse individuals and groups (Shared Pride, Black History, Asian Heritage, Indigenous Health, Francophone Health) that make up the populations we serve – and the diversity of our workforce – are at the heart of Shared Health.
Download posters and visual reminders to post in your work area here and check back regularly for new and added resources.
Words are important. Understand what you are saying and how it could be received or interpreted, choose words with intention, and take care to be respectful in all interactions. Consider these reminders from antiracist.gov.bc.ca.
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) is embraced by some groups as it centers the experiences of Black and Indigenous peoples and demonstrates solidarity between Racialized communities. In other groups this term is avoided or considered outdated.
Manitoba’s Provincial Disrupting Racism Steering Committee will use terminology that references Indigenous, Black and Racialized peoples.
Mistakes will happen. It is important to acknowledge them and continue learning.
Listening is just as important as being careful in the words that you choose. Careful listening will allow you to hear the terms that individuals use to describe themselves.
A Glossary of Terms is being created to support our activities.
