My Child Woke Up Sick: Is It Heat or a Virus?

In Australia, extreme heat is more dangerous than bushfires, cyclones and floods combined – over the last century, heatwaves have caused more deaths than any other natural hazard. In the past decade alone, extreme heat has been responsible for around three‑quarters of all extreme‑weather injury hospitalisations here – over 7,000 people ending up in hospital, many of them children.

Those are big, scary numbers. But they also explain a very everyday moment that so many Aussie parents know too well:

It’s a sticky summer morning. Your child wakes up flushed, sweaty and miserable. They say they feel “yuck”. Maybe they were at the beach yesterday, or playing cricket in the sun. You put your hand on their forehead and think:

“Is my child sick from the heat… or is this some virus?”

Do you send them back to bed with water and a fan? Straight to the GP? Can you safely go to work – or should you stay home and look after them (and somehow sort out a carer’s leave medical certificate at the same time)?

If you’ve ever second‑guessed yourself in this situation, you’re absolutely not alone.

In this article, we’ll walk through:

• Why kids’ health in summer can be so confusing in Australia
• How to tell heat exhaustion vs fever symptoms apart – and where they blur
• Clear red‑flag signs that mean “call triple zero (000) or go to hospital now”
• Practical dehydration symptoms to watch for in babies, toddlers and older kids
• Exactly what to do, step‑by‑step, when your child is sick in summer
• How telehealth and an online carer’s leave medical certificate can help you stay home with your child without battling a waiting room

We’re a telehealth startup based in Australia, and we spend a lot of time supporting people through summer illnesses – from viral fevers to heat‑related sickness – including issuing medical and carer certificates, prescriptions and referrals online. We’ll draw on trusted Australian sources like Healthdirect, state health departments, and children’s hospitals to help you feel more confident next time your child wakes up unwell.

This isn’t about turning you into a doctor. It’s about giving you a calm, practical roadmap so you can say, “I know what to do next.”

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Why summer makes kids’ illness so confusing in Australia

Summer with kids here can be magic – beach days, backyard cricket, late‑night BBQs. But it’s also a perfect storm for confusing symptoms:

• High heat and humidity make kids sweaty, flushed and lethargic.
• Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, and extreme heat is driving more hospital visits across Australia.
• At the same time, viruses don’t take holidays – we still see gastro, colds, flu, COVID‑19 and other infections right through summer.

Babies and children are especially vulnerable to overheating and dehydration because:

• They have smaller bodies and a higher surface area‑to‑volume ratio.
• They generate more heat while running around.
• They sweat less efficiently and can’t always tell you when they feel too hot.

Put that together and you get a very familiar picture: a child who looks “fevery” – but might actually be “just hot” or mildly dehydrated… or could have both heat stress and a viral infection at the same time.

So how do you tease these apart?

Heat exhaustion vs fever: what’s actually going on?

Let’s start by unpacking the two main culprits.

What is a fever?

A fever is when the body raises its internal temperature (usually to 38°C or above) as part of the immune response to an infection.

In kids, fevers are most often caused by viruses, such as:

• Colds and flu (influenza)
• COVID‑19
• Ear, throat or tonsil infections
• Viral gastro
• Other common childhood infections

With a viral fever, you might notice:

• A measured temperature of 38°C or higher
• Child feels hot to touch, often flushed
• Chills or shivering, even though they’re hot
• Tiredness, clinginess or irritability
• Poor appetite but usually still drinking
• Other clues – runny nose, cough, sore throat, tummy pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, etc.

Fever is a sign of the body fighting something, not an illness on its own.

What is heat exhaustion?

Heat exhaustion happens when the body gets overheated from external heat, especially in hot, humid weather or poorly ventilated spaces. It’s on the milder end of the heat‑illness spectrum, but it can progress to heatstroke, which is a medical emergency.

According to Healthdirect and major children’s hospitals, heat exhaustion often looks like:

• Feeling very hot, weak, dizzy or faint
• Headache, nausea or vomiting
• Pale, cool, sweaty or clammy skin
• Fast heart rate
• Thirst and sometimes darker urine (a sign of dehydration)

With heat exhaustion, the body temperature might be normal or just slightly raised; the body is still sweating and trying to cool down.

What is heatstroke?

Heatstroke is much more serious. In children, it usually means:

• A very high core temperature – above about 40–40.5°C
• Hot, red skin that may be dry or no longer sweating
• Confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech or collapse
• Seizures or loss of consciousness

Heatstroke is life‑threatening and always an emergency – call triple zero (000) immediately.

Heat exhaustion vs fever: key differences you can look for

There’s no perfect at‑home formula, but some patterns can help you think things through while you’re arranging medical care.

1. What happened in the last 12–24 hours?

Ask yourself:

• Has my child been:
  • Playing sport in the middle of the day?
  • At the beach or pool in direct sun?
  • In a hot car, pram or enclosed room?
  • Sleeping with no fan/air‑con through a hot night?

If yes, and symptoms start after or during heat exposure, heat exhaustion jumps higher on the list.

If symptoms appear out of the blue overnight, after an ordinary day indoors, or spread through the family (everyone feels crook), a viral fever is more likely.

2. How does their skin feel and look?

• Heat exhaustion
  • Skin often feels cool or clammy, especially if they’ve been sweating heavily.
  • They may look pale, washed‑out and “wobbly”.
• Fever from a virus
  • Skin usually feels consistently hot to touch (forehead, back, tummy).
  • They may look flushed, with red cheeks.

Remember: you cannot reliably diagnose either one just by touching their forehead – but these clues help build the picture.

3. Sweating pattern

• Heat exhaustion: still sweating, often a lot – the body is trying hard to cool itself.
• Heatstroke: skin may become hot and dry as sweating fails – this is an emergency.
• Viral fever: sweating can come and go, often with chills and shivering cycles.

4. Other symptoms

• More in favour of heat exhaustion:
  • Started after intense heat exposure
  • Dizziness, faintness on standing
  • Intense thirst, darker urine, fewer wees
  • Rapid improvement after cooling and fluids (within an hour)
• More in favour of viral fever:
  • Runny or blocked nose, cough, sore throat
  • Ear pain, vomiting or diarrhoea that’s going around daycare
  • Known contact with someone who’s been unwell
  • Fever continuing for more than 24–48 hours, regardless of weather

5. Can they have both?

Absolutely.

A child with a viral infection can get worse in hot weather, because:

• Fever itself increases fluid loss.
• Vomiting and diarrhoea speed up dehydration.
• A hot environment makes it even harder for the body to keep temperature in a safe range.

That’s why watching for dehydration symptoms is so important – whatever the cause of your child’s illness.

Step‑by‑step: what to do when your child wakes up sick in summer

Here’s a practical checklist you can work through in real time.

Step 1: Check for emergency red flags

Before you worry about “heat or virus”, look for signs that mean you shouldn’t manage this at home.

Call triple zero (000) immediately or go to the nearest emergency department if your child:

• Is difficult to wake, not responding normally or “not themselves”
• Has trouble breathing – fast, laboured, ribs sucking in, or noisy breathing
• Has blue, grey or very pale lips or face
• Has a seizure (even if you suspect a febrile seizure)
• Has a very stiff neck or intense headache with fever
• Has a widespread rash, especially if it doesn’t fade with pressure
• Has signs of heatstroke:
  • Very hot body (around 40°C or more)
  • Hot, dry skin or they’ve stopped sweating
  • Confusion, slurred speech, collapse or bizarre behaviour

For babies under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher, go straight to the emergency department – even if they otherwise seem okay.

If any of these apply, skip the rest of this article for now and seek urgent help.

Step 2: Take their temperature properly

If there are no emergency signs, the next step is a temperature check.

• Use a digital thermometer (ear, forehead or underarm) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• A temperature of 38°C or more in a child is considered a fever.

Don’t rely on your hand alone; it’s a useful quick check, but not accurate enough to guide decisions.

Step 3: Move them to a safer environment

Regardless of whether it’s heat or virus, you want your child in a cool, calm, well‑ventilated space:

• Take them out of direct sun.
• Turn on a fan or air‑con if you have it.
• Dress them in light, loose clothing; remove extra layers and heavy bedding.
• Never leave them in a pram under thick covers, or in a parked car even for a short while – cars can become dangerously hot very quickly, even on milder days.

For babies, avoid draping heavy blankets over prams; if you use a muslin wrap for shade, make sure air can flow freely.

Step 4: Start gentle cooling and offer fluids

If you suspect heat exhaustion, children’s hospitals and state health departments recommend:

• Offer cool water or an oral rehydration solution in small, frequent sips.
• Encourage them to rest lying down in a cool, shaded room.
• Place a cool, damp washcloth on their forehead, neck or underarms.
• Consider a lukewarm (not cold or icy) bath or sponge wipe.

Avoid:

• Ice‑cold baths or showers (can cause shivering and make things worse)
• Sugary soft drinks or undiluted juices as the main fluid source
• Energy drinks or anything with caffeine

If your child has a viral fever, very similar steps help:

• Keep them cool but not chilled (light clothing, light cover if shivering).
• Offer plenty of clear fluids – water, oral rehydration solutions, breastmilk or formula as usual for babies.
• Don’t stress if they’re not hungry; fluids matter more.

Medicines like paracetamol or (for some children) ibuprofen can be used for comfort if your child is in pain or miserable, following age/weight dosing and your pharmacist or GP’s advice. They don’t “fix” the cause of fever, but they can help your child rest and drink.

Step 5: Watch for dehydration symptoms

While you’re cooling them and offering fluids, monitor for dehydration symptoms (more on this in the next section). If your child is refusing to drink, weeing much less or becoming more drowsy or floppy, seek same‑day medical care or emergency help depending on severity.

Step 6: Decide: GP, telehealth or home care?

After an hour or two of cooling and fluids, ask:

• Are they brighter, more alert and more comfortable?
• Is the temperature stable or coming down a little?
• Are they drinking reasonably?
• Are dehydration symptoms improving?

If yes, you may be able to continue home care while keeping a close eye on them and arranging a routine GP or telehealth review if needed – especially if symptoms last more than a day or you’re worried.

If you’re unsure, you can:

• Call the healthdirect nurse line (1800 022 222) 24/7 for advice tailored to your child’s age and symptoms.
• Arrange a same‑day consult with your usual GP or a local clinic.
• Use telehealth for general advice about caring for your child and for your own needs (for example, if you’ve also caught the virus or need a medical or carer’s leave medical certificate to stay home from work).

At NextClinic, our doctors currently see adults aged 18+, but we regularly support parents who need:

• A carer’s leave certificate so they can legally and safely take time off to care for a sick child
• A sick leave certificate for themselves if they’ve also come down with something
• A telehealth consult about their own health or questions as a carer, including when they should seek in‑person care for their child

We’ll come back to how that works shortly.

Dehydration symptoms in kids: what to watch for

Whether it’s heat, fever, gastro or all three, dehydration is often the real danger, especially in babies and young children.

Australian resources like Healthdirect and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network list common signs of dehydration in kids as:

Mild–moderate dehydration:

• Thirsty, dry mouth or lips
• Less frequent wees, or fewer wet nappies than usual
• Darker yellow urine
• Tiredness, low mood or grumpiness
• Headache, light‑headedness, feeling “wobbly”
• Dry skin, fewer tears when crying

More severe dehydration – seek urgent medical care:

• Very few or no wees for several hours
• Very sunken eyes
• For babies: a sunken “soft spot” (fontanelle) on the head
• Extreme thirst or refusal to drink at all
• Very pale, cold or blotchy skin
• Floppy body, limp or difficult to rouse
• Rapid breathing or very fast heart rate

If you see severe dehydration signs, don’t wait – head to an emergency department or call 000.

Caring for a child with mild heat exhaustion at home

If your child seems much better after cooling, resting and hydrating, and you don’t see any red flags, you may be dealing with mild heat exhaustion. Children’s hospitals in NSW suggest the following home‑care steps:

1. Keep them out of the heat
   • Stay indoors in a cool room.
   • Avoid sport or outdoor play for at least the rest of the day.
2. Keep up fluids
   • Offer small, frequent sips of water or oral rehydration solution.
   • Avoid undiluted soft drinks and sports drinks as the main fluid source; they can worsen tummy symptoms.
3. Light food only
   • Don’t push big meals; toast, fruit or plain crackers are fine if they’re hungry.
4. Rest and monitor
   • Check on them regularly.
   • Look for any worsening symptoms, such as confusion, vomiting, or rising temperature.
5. Get medical review if:
   • Symptoms don’t improve within a couple of hours of cooling and fluids
   • They keep vomiting or refuse to drink
   • They develop new symptoms like rash, severe headache, breathing problems or ongoing high fever

Health departments like NSW Health and Queensland Health emphasise that prolonged hot weather is risky for kids – repeated days over 35°C, muggy conditions and warm nights can all add up. Having a “heat plan” for your family before summer hits really helps (we’ll cover that below).

Caring for a child with a mild viral fever at home

If your child’s symptoms and history point more towards viral infection – with fever, cough, runny nose or a bug going around daycare – home care often looks similar, with a few tweaks.

According to Healthdirect:

• Dress lightly and keep the room comfortably cool.
• Offer plenty of fluids – breastmilk or formula for babies; water or oral rehydration for older kids.
• Don’t worry if they eat less; focus on hydration.
• Consider paracetamol (and ibuprofen for older babies/kids if safe for them) only if they seem uncomfortable or in pain – not just to chase the number on the thermometer.
• Avoid cold baths or alcohol rubs; these can cause shivering and are not recommended.

You should seek same‑day medical care (GP, urgent care or telehealth) if:

• Fever lasts more than 48 hours
• Fever is 40°C or higher
• Your child is vomiting and not keeping down fluids
• They have ongoing headache or tummy pain
• You’re worried they’re getting sicker, not better

And remember: babies under 3 months with a fever of 38°C or above always need urgent assessment.

Kids’ health in summer: prevention tips that actually help

You can’t prevent every virus, and you definitely can’t control the weather. But you can stack the odds in your favour with a simple kids’ summer health plan.

Australian state health departments suggest:

1. Hydration habits

• Encourage kids to drink regularly through the day, not just when they say they’re thirsty. By the time a child feels thirsty, they’re often already mildly dehydrated.
• Send a large water bottle to school and sports; remind them to sip at every break.
• For very hot days or after heavy sport, consider electrolyte solutions (especially if they’re sweating a lot), but plain water should still be the main drink.
• For babies under 6 months, breastmilk or formula is usually enough; talk to your GP or child health nurse about extra feeds in hot weather.

2. Smart scheduling

• Plan outdoor play for early morning or late afternoon, avoiding the middle of the day when UV and heat are highest.
• On declared heatwave days, try to stay indoors in cool spaces – shopping centres, libraries and community centres can be useful if your home gets very hot.

3. Clothing and shade

• Dress kids in light, loose, single‑layer cotton clothes.
• Use broad‑brimmed hats and SPF 50+ sunscreen when outdoors – if you’d like a deep dive into sun protection myths (including whether you really need sunscreen indoors), our post “Do You Need Sunscreen Indoors? 3 Myths Busted” breaks it all down for Australian conditions.

4. Prams and cars

• Never leave a child alone in a parked car – even for a minute. The temperature can soar dangerously fast.
• Avoid covering pram fronts with thick blankets; use light fabrics and ensure air can circulate.
• Check metal buckles and harnesses in prams and car seats so they don’t burn bare skin.

5. Infection control still matters

Summer doesn’t magically switch off viruses. To reduce the viral load in your household:

• Encourage hand‑washing with soap, especially before eating and after toilet trips.
• Teach kids to cough or sneeze into their elbow.
• Keep sick kids home from school or childcare to prevent spreading infections.
• Stay up to date with recommended vaccinations (including flu and COVID‑19).

If you’d like more seasonal health tips, our blog has guides like “Thunderstorm Asthma: Triggers and How to Stay Safe” and a range of posts on winter and autumn illness planning – all written for Australian families.

When to see a doctor, call 000, or use telehealth

A quick recap of who to contact, and when.

Call triple zero (000) now if:

• Your child shows any emergency red flags we listed earlier
• You suspect heatstroke (very high temperature, confusion, collapse, seizures, or hot dry skin)
• Your baby under 3 months has a fever of 38°C or more and is very unwell

In these situations, do not use telehealth – go straight to emergency care.

See a GP or urgent care clinic promptly if:

• Fever persists more than 2 days, or is 40°C+
• Your child looks more unwell, not better, over time
• There are worrying symptoms like severe headache, ongoing vomiting, tummy pain or a new rash
• You’re worried about dehydration and they’re not drinking well

In‑person care is especially important when your child might need blood tests, swabs, IV fluids, an ear‑throat‑chest exam or hospital monitoring.

When telehealth can help

While many child assessments need a hands‑on exam, telehealth can still play a useful role for Australian families – especially adults caring for sick kids.

Telehealth (including our team at NextClinic) is often appropriate when:

• You, as the parent or carer, are also unwell (e.g. caught the virus your child has) and need advice, treatment or a sick leave certificate.
• You’re reasonably sure your child’s condition is mild and already under GP care, but you need:
  • Advice on your own health (e.g. you’ve picked up the bug too).
  • Guidance on general care measures, safe medicines for adults, or whether you should attend work.
• You need a medical certificate or carer’s leave medical certificate to provide evidence to your employer that you’re staying home to care for your child.

Carer’s leave medical certificates: staying home to look after a sick child

Here’s the practical reality for many Australian parents: even when you know your child should stay home, you may still be worried about work.

Under the National Employment Standards, you can take carer’s leave to look after an immediate family or household member who is ill, injured, or facing an unexpected emergency. Employers are allowed to ask for evidence, and a medical or carer’s leave certificate is one accepted form.

The tricky part?

• Getting a certificate often means dragging yourself (and sometimes your child) into a clinic.
• Many of those appointments are purely about paperwork, not treatment.

How we can help at NextClinic

At NextClinic, we’re trying to make this part easier and more humane.

We currently:

• Provide online carer’s certificates Australia‑wide for adults (18+) who need time off to look after a sick child or loved one.
• Offer online doctor’s certificates if you’re unwell yourself and need sick leave.
• Run telehealth consultations with AHPRA‑registered Australian doctors, who can provide prescriptions, specialist referrals, and multi‑day medical certificates when clinically appropriate.

If your child wakes up sick on a scorching January morning and you know you can’t send them to school, our [Carer’s Leave Certificate Online](https://nextclinic.com.au/carers-certificates-online) service lets you:

1. Fill out a short online questionnaire about who you’re caring for and why.
2. Have an Australian‑registered doctor review your request, usually within an hour.
3. Receive your carer’s leave medical certificate by email or via your patient portal – no waiting room, no dragging kids out in the heat.

Your employer still gets the documentation they need, and you get to stay home where your child actually needs you.

If you want a deeper dive into how online certificates work and common myths (like whether online notes are “real” or legally valid), have a look at our blog posts:

• “Online Medical Certificate”
• “Common Medical Certificate Myths Debunked”

Both explain how telehealth certificates fit within Australian workplace laws and the Fair Work framework, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Bringing it all together: heat, viruses and trusting your instincts

When your child wakes up sick in summer, it’s easy to feel torn:

• Is it just the heat?
• Is this a virus?
• Am I overreacting – or underreacting?

Here are the big ideas to keep in mind:

1. Heat is a serious health risk in Australia, especially for babies and children. Don’t brush off heat exhaustion – it can tip into heatstroke if not treated promptly.
2. Fevers are usually viral, and most can be safely managed at home – but there are clear red flags (age under 3 months, breathing problems, drowsiness, seizures, severe pain or rash) that mean urgent care.
3. Dehydration symptoms often tell you more about how worried to be than the exact thermometer reading.
4. Sometimes it isn’t really “heat exhaustion vs fever” – it’s both. A hot day plus a virus can compound each other, so take them both seriously.
5. You’re allowed to stay home to care for your child, and a carer’s leave medical certificate (including those issued via telehealth) is legitimate evidence when your employer asks for proof.

Most importantly: your gut feeling as a parent or carer matters. If something feels off – even if you can’t explain exactly why – it’s always reasonable to seek professional advice, whether that’s via healthdirect, your GP, an emergency department, or a telehealth service like ours (for your own health needs and documentation).

Your next step: choose one action before the next hot day

To make this article actually useful (and not just “interesting”), pick one of these actions to do this week:

• Save healthdirect (1800 022 222) and triple zero (000) in your phone favourites.
• Put a digital thermometer and oral rehydration solution on your next shopping list.
• Talk with your child (in age‑appropriate terms) about heat safety – drinking water, telling you when they feel “too hot”, and coming inside when they feel unwell.
• If you’re a working parent, check your workplace policy on sick and carer’s leave, so you know exactly when you might need a medical or carer’s leave medical certificate.
• Bookmark our [Online Carer’s Certificates](https://nextclinic.com.au/carers-certificates-online) and [Telehealth Consultations](https://nextclinic.com.au/telehealth-consultation) pages so you’re not scrambling for options when you’re already stressed.

Which one will you try?

Let us know in the comments: What’s the one change you’re going to make to feel more prepared next time your child wakes up sick on a hot summer morning?

References

• Heatwaves | National Museum of Australia
• Australia's health 2024: data insights: Extreme weather related injuries in Australia over the last decade - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Fever and high temperature in children and babies - when to see a doctor | healthdirect
• Heat illness in babies and children | The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network
• Heatstroke | healthdirect
• Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
• Beat the heat - Heat and health: Babies and young children
• Dehydration | healthdirect
• Heat exhaustion and Heatstroke factsheet
• How to take care of yourself in a heatwave | healthdirect
• Hydration tips for children | healthdirect
• Notice and medical certificates - Fair Work Ombudsman
• Carer's Leave Certificate Online | NextClinic

FAQs