For Patients and Families

Information About COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)

Access to the care you need, when you need it

As we continue to strive to decrease the number of COVID-19 cases in our community, we are taking steps to increase in-person visits to our hospital and clinics. We are also increasing our telehealth capabilities for most of our clinics so that we can continue to serve patients for whom a virtual appointment is best. Our scheduling teams will contact patients and families to offer reschedule dates for the appointments we had to postpone as part of our response to COVID-19.

Seattle Children’s remains open for patients with urgent and emergent needs during this COVID-19 outbreak. If your child needs urgent medical care or is experiencing an emergency, take them to your nearest emergency department without delay. For many patients, delaying care can have serious complications. Our Emergency Department in Seattle and Urgent Care clinics in Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way and Seattle are ready to care for your child. If you’re not sure where to bring your child, use our emergency or urgent care guide. If the issue is less urgent, call your child’s primary care provider.

Seattle Children’s is committed to keeping our patients, families and workforce safe from exposure to COVID-19. In addition to our existing robust infection prevention strategies such as strict focus on hand hygiene and isolation protocols, we have implemented additional safety measures.

For the safety of our patients and families, the following safety measures are in place:

  • Restrictions on visitors at all locations

    To maintain the social distancing guidelines that have been proven to help slow the spread of COVID-19, we have limited the number of people who enter our buildings.

    • Inpatient: each patient is allowed to have a maximum of two parents or caregivers may be with their child as long as they follow our guidelines for staying in their child’s room, wearing masks, physical distancing and self-monitoring for signs of illness.
    • Clinics, Surgery Center, Urgent Care, Emergency Department and Research appointments: only one parent or caregiver may accompany a patient to an appointment or visit to any of these locations. Everyone else, including siblings of any age, may not come along.

  • Screening and testing for patients and families

    Upon arrival, patients and families are asked screening questions. Based on their responses, we conduct further screening and/or COVID-19 testing of the patient. Some patients are proactively tested prior to their clinic appointment or inpatient admission.

  • Universal Masking

    Everyone, including patients, families and visitors are required to wear a mask at all times. If you do not have your own mask or face covering, we will give one to you as you enter the building. 

  • Strict Guidelines for Social Distancing

    We have signage and instructions for social distancing at areas of our hospital and clinics where people might congregate. Places like our family lounges and waiting rooms are being restructured to allow people to keep physical distance of at least 6 feet.

  • Mandatory COVID-19 testing before surgery

    All patients are tested for COVID-19 before their surgery or procedure. If a patient tests positive for COVID-19, their attending surgeon and our Infection Prevention specialist will make a determination about next steps.

  • Daily screening for staff and faculty

    We are screening all of our staff upon entry for signs of illness. If an employee is found to have signs of illness, they are referred to COVID-19 testing and asked to follow our standard work restriction policy as it applies to them.

Call center for Seattle Children’s patients and families

If you are a current patient of Seattle Children’s, their family member or a parent of a child under the age of 19 in our community, members of our team are available to answer your questions or connect you to someone who can. Call us toll free at 1-833-987-2100 or fill out a contact form with your questions and we will call you back. Contact form

If you need an interpreter, call 1-866-583-1527. Tell the interpreter that you need extension 7-2100 and the message you would like to leave.

Information this call center does not provide:

  • Test results or other information about COVID-19 testing. If your child was recently tested for COVID-19 at a Seattle Children’s location, please wait for us to call you with the results or other information.
  • Symptom checks or medical advice. If you have questions about symptoms or seeking medical advice, call your primary care provider.

Commonly asked questions about how Seattle Children’s is working to protect our patients, families and staff