For Patients and Families
What to Expect at Seattle Children’s During COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to surge in our community, we are following strict guidelines to keep your in-person visit and hospital stay as safe as possible. Here’s what you need to know about your visit to any of our locations:
We have several safety measures in place, including:
Visitor restrictions at all our locations
At all of our clinics, we recommend that only 1 parent or caregiver accompany a patient to their appointment. However, if 2 caregivers need to come along, we will allow it at this time. Siblings who are younger than 1 year old are also allowed to come along. Siblings of any other age are not allowed to come along, and we do not allow more than 2 caregivers without an exception.
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Upon arrival, patients and families are asked screening questions for signs of illness. Based on their responses, we conduct further screening and/or COVID-19 testing of the patient. Some patients are proactively tested before their clinic appointment or hospital stay. Please contact your child’s provider if your child develops a new illness like fever, cough, or runny nose before your scheduled visit.
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Everyone, including patients, families and visitors, is required to wear a medical mask at all times. This includes the blue masks we provide at entrances, or KN95 masks that you can purchase. At this time, wearing a cloth mask or other face covering is not allowed. If you do not have your own mask, we will give you a mask as you enter the building.
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We have signage and instructions for physical distancing at areas of our hospital and clinics where people might gather. Places like our family lounges and waiting rooms have been rearranged to allow people to keep physical distance of at least 6 feet.
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We require all patients to get a COVID-19 test 2 days before their surgery or a planned hospital stay. This requirement also applies to most procedures. If a patient tests positive for COVID-19, their attending surgeon and our Infection Prevention specialist will decidenext steps.
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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.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Vaccines are being distributed to members of the public and our patients.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine distribution at Seattle Children's.
COVID-19 Testing Information
Seattle Children’s offers COVID-19 testing for patients ages 20 and under in certain instances. Learn more about COVID-19 testing at Seattle Children's and in the community.
Access to the care you need, when you need it
As we continue to try 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 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.
Please note: The Emergency Department is not a COVID-19 testing site. Learn more about where to get tested for COVID-19.
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.
