Acute Upper Respiratory Infection in a Pediatric Patient During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Report

Upper respiratory infections (URIs) are a frequent presentation of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a major detrimental impact on the pediatric population. In this case report, we detail the pandemic-related treatment of a five-year-old patient who had an acute upper respiratory illness. The case report begins with an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic, then discusses the difficulties in identifying and treating pediatric patients with respiratory illnesses in the current setting. In this report, we describe the case of a five-year-old child who originally displayed signs and symptoms of a viral URI that, with further investigation, proved unrelated to COVID-19. Treatment for the patient included symptom control, monitoring, and ultimately recovery. This study stresses the necessity for adequate diagnostic testing, individualized treatment plans, and ongoing surveillance for respiratory infections in pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.