Coronavirus in Children: Everything a Mother Needs to Know

The novel coronavirus (COVID 19) which started as an outbreak in Wuhan city in China has spread all across the world.  The World Health Organization(WHO) has declared it a pandemic and it is all over the news.

coronavirus affected countries as of 11/03/2020 source: Wikipedia

 

As a mother, you are naturally worried about your child. How do I protect my child from coronavirus?  If my child gets the disease, how would I know? How do we keep them safe?

Here we bring reliable information to you from reliable sources like WHO and Center for Disease Control, Atlanta (CDC) in a manner that you can understand.

What is this Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19)?

This is a new form of coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan city in China and has rapidly spread all over the world.

Are Children at higher risk of coronavirus infection?

Are you asking yourself “Is my child at risk”?

The answer is Yes

Your child, like any other child, is at risk of coronavirus disease especially if you reside in a community that is affected. However, the good news is that it has been seen in China and other affected places that this virus tends to affect more older people compared to children. Nevertheless, You as a mother should not get complacent. You would need to do everything required to keep your child safe.

Also, remember that though children are not at risk of severe disease, they can carry the virus to elders in the family for whom it could be tough to fight the virus. So protecting children helps in controlling the spread of the virus to others in the family too.

How does it spread?

Knowledge about the spread of the virus is very important as this will help you take preventive measures for your children. The novel coronavirus spreads via respiratory secretion by means of droplet infection. That means that the respiratory secretions of patients contain the infective virus. If that person touches his nose and the mouth, the virus (along with the secretions) soils the hand. Now, if another person comes in contact with this person shakes their hand, touches his face, etc the virus comes to his hand. If he then touches his mouth, nose, or eyes then the virus gets entry into his body. When the person sneezes, their secretion is dispersed into the air as a droplet. If you are too close to the patient you may inhale the ‘infected’ droplets and thus may get infected.

Can you breastfeed your baby if you have suspected COVID-9 infection:

There is no specific recommendation on this but this virus spreads via the respiratory droplet suspended in the air and by touching anything that is contaminated with respiratory secretions. There is no evidence of transmission through breastmilk. After consultation with your doctor, you may decide to continue breastfeeding while taking all the general precautions to prevent the spread of the virus to your little one (for example frequent handwashing with soap, Hand sanitizers, face masks, etc).

How do I Tell about coronavirus to my children?

Children get to know about the virus from the news, overhear conversations, and from their friends. They may be partially informed or misinformed about the disease. They may be worried about their own well-being and well being of others in their family. CDC has given some guidelines about how adults should have a conversation about this deadly virus with their children.

General principles of having a conversation with children (on coronavirus)

1.Be reassuring and remain calm

1. Be sure that your children know that they can come to you if they have any questions about it.

2. While talking to them, avoid language that might blame others

3. Pay attention to how much your children are exposed to media on coronavirus. Control their exposure. Too much information about this deadly disease may cause anxiety.

4. Provide information to them that is age-appropriate, honest, and accurate.

5. Teach children everyday day how they can protect themselves and also help stop the virus spread.

Remember, talk to them in a way they can understand and don’t make them panic. Here is a screenshot from the CDC website which suggests “language” explains COVID -19 to children. If your little one is asking too many questions and you are running out of words to explain, this page is a must-read.

How can I protect my child from getting the coronavirus infection?

You can protect your child from this virus by following some simple steps. Please mind that all these steps apply to you and other adults in the family as well.

1. No Hand Shakes

Teach your child not to shake hands with others as greetings. Teach them to just say ‘hello’ or ‘hi” instead. Or you may teach them to use the traditional Indian greeting “Namaste”. They may find it fun.

How does it help? This prevents them from picking up the germs from other person’s hands.

2. Discourage touching of the face frequently

Teach them not to touch their face frequently.

How does it help? This way if they have somehow gotten the virus into their hands, you can stop them from going to the mouth, nose, and eyes from where the bug can get inside your little one’s body.  But all mothers will realize that this is easier said than done for kids. Hence the next point.

3. Wash their hands and use sanitizers:

Encourage them to wash their hands frequently with soap and water. This is especially important if you are outside and children tend to touch here and there and that’s how they may pick the germ onto their hands. If handwashing with soap and water is not feasible, you may try hand sanitizers with the same effect.

How does it help? By frequently washing their hands with soap and water it will help to get rid of the germs if it somehow finds a way to your little one’s hand.

4. Keep them away from Sick people

You should keep your child away from people who are sick… may it be at home or outside. This is especially true if coronavirus is spreading in your community/locality. They should be at least  1 meter away from someone who might have any sort of respiratory illness. If your children look sick, seek medical help and keep them confined at home.

How does it help? when sick people sneeze they release droplets that might contain the virus.

5. Keep away from the Crowd

Your child can continue to go to school. If the virus is spreading fast in your area, the authorities will issue an advisory to close schools down. Until then don’t worry. But keep them away from large public gatherings. If you have a non-urgent appointment with your pediatrician, you may want to postpone it. You may want to avoid taking them to large social gatherings like birthday parties, weddings, crowded markets, supermarkets, and movies. Keep them busy at home!

How does it help? In large public gatherings, so many people will be there and someone might be having and spreading the virus. Staying away keeps you and your child safer.

6. Clean and Disinfect frequently touched surfaces 

All surfaces that you frequently touch may also harbor viruses. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. You should try to clean and disinfect these surfaces daily.

7. Keep up to date on the latest Coronavirus hotspots

Knowing where coronavirus is spreading helps you travel less to those places thereby keeping yourself and your children safer.

My child is not well- is it coronavirus?

First of all, if your child is not doing well you should consult your doctor and keep them at home. How would you know if your child has a coronavirus infection? This virus causes a disease with respiratory problems.

Symptoms include:

• fever
• dry cough
• runny nose
• sore throat
• Shortness of breath or breathing difficulty (only in severe cases)

If your child has any of the above symptoms, you should visit your doctor. If you live in an area where there are no reported cases and there is no history of contact with COVID-19 patients, it’s very unlikely that your kid has the disease. Common ‘cough & cold’ and other diseases of the respiratory tract also have similar features. Do not Panic. Let your doctor see and decide.

Do I need to get my sick child tested?

Again, your child’s doctor is the best judge for whether your child needs the test or not. If your child has any of the above symptoms and there are reported cases in your locality or if your child was in contact with anyone diagnosed/suspected to have the disease, he/she might need a test. This could involve collecting swabs both from your child’s mouth and nose.

If my child gets tested positive, what is the treatment?

As of now, there is no specific treatment or vaccine against COVID-19. The medical team will offer only supportive care. The good news is that the most affected patients do good on their own and serious outcomes are very less.

Did you find this article helpful? If you liked it, don’t forget to share it. Please let us know in the comment section below how you take care of your children to keep coronavirus at bay.

Important resources on coronavirus pertaining to children: 

1.Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and Children – FAQs at CDC website

2.Steps to Prevent Illness – CDC website

3.Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019: Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children

4.WHO page for updates Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak