COVID19 In Babies and Kids

History repeats itself, but this time it is gripping its fist tighter around innocence and cherubic world. Nevertheless, we as parents are taking every ounce of prevention, but our one step of negligence can be a victory for the wily virus. Yes, Covid19 second wave is flanking its fangs around children with its smarter cousin (mutant strain). Instead of panicking, let us see how we can prevent the catastrophe that befalls our children and protect them from coronavirus menace.  

What are the primary symptoms to look out for in children?

The most common symptoms of Covid -19 in children are fever and cough. 

• Fever 
• Chills
• Nasal Congestion
• Loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat 
• Diarrhoea
• Difficult in breathing
• Headache
• Muscle or body ache
• Lethargy

Children who have frail immunity, chronic illness are more vulnerable to complications associated with Corona, including MIS-C. 

*Do not overlook any symptoms. In case of emergency or if you find any new symptoms that are not mentioned above, kindly seek help from the health practitioner. Do not, I repeat, do not treat your child at home. 

If your child tests positive, what should you do?

Stop panicking and isolate your child immediately from other family members. Seek help from your medical practitioner. Most children suffer from mild bouts of the disease and may recover quickly, but if your doctor has advised you to hospitalise your child follow their advice,  as proper medical treatment is the key to fight infection promptly. 

Prevention is always better than cure.

Stay indoors - It has become difficult for children to stay indoors so here is the idea:

Let them be busy with activities that may boost their mental health like reading, solving puzzles, writing a story or doing art or craft. With mental health being taken care of by motor skills, let the physical training also be a part of their homework like dancing, skipping or simply doing yoga.

Wear a mask in public: This is important to keep infection at bay. It helps to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Avoid large crowds and busy places

Wash hands - It is mandatory to teach your children to wash their hands using soap and water. Use the 20 seconds rule to wash hands. If you find it difficult to keep a tab on time, you can sing a happy birthday song twice. Guide your children to wash their hands between the fingers, thumb and fingernails. 

Make it a habit to wash their hands after using the bathroom, before eating food, after playing. Also, ask them to wash their hands whenever they cough or sneeze.  

Avoid indoor public places like restaurants and cinema hall

Maintain a safe distance with strangers and friends 

Make sure your kids are vaccinated for other infections like flu and measles as well.

Takeaway:

Corona vaccination is still in the pipeline for children though there are promising results with every study; until then, we have to rein the ropes of hope together. Let us urge our children to remain cautious, practice basic hygiene standards to safeguard their health.

Pooja Kulkarni is a mother of a two year old rambunctious kid. With her son a writer in her was born. What started as an obsession for fictional writing slowly morphed into freelance content writer. She has several corporate clients for which she provides newsletters and articles. She believes she is not merely a content writer but an idea generator who weaves words on the fabric of the reader's mind. 

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mom Store.