Taking care of kids amid the new COVID variant

As the COVID cases are rising yet again in India, experts believe that this can be the fourth wave of COVID in the country. People’s minds are buzzing with questions such as how severe will it be, will it affect adults too, how safe are the kids, etc. But since precaution is better than cure, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

With a sudden rise in the number of cases, the country seems to be inching towards the fourth wave of COVID. The cases reported till now seems to be affecting kids more than adults, perhaps because the majority of the latter are vaccinated with two doses. However, it cannot be claimed yet that the current variant may not infect adults.

Although, according to the experts, the infection may not be as severe and fatal as it was in the first two waves, following all the precautions remains the key to keeping the virus at bay. Dr. Rajesh Sharma, a Senior General Physician based in Delhi says that besides getting vaccinated, following hand hygiene and other preventive measures remains important because vaccination does not guarantee 100 percent immunity against the virus. Therefore, one must not stop wearing a face mask or using hand sanitizers when required.

Talking about kids, Dr. Rajesh explains that one major reason for kids being infected with the virus is that most of them are not yet vaccinated. And amid this situation, the reopening of the schools has increased the possibility of transmission among them. Therefore, kids must be vaccinated as soon as possible and parents and teachers, along with the other school staff must encourage the little ones to understand the importance of masks, handwashing and sanitizing.

Safety should be the priority

• Be it in schools, playgrounds or other public spaces, it is important to maintain social distancing.
• Face masks are a must. Ensure that your kid’s mask fits him/her properly, is not loose and that they always wear it over their nose. Also, if the mask has to be removed, hands should be sanitized before and after removing and wearing the mask.
• Always wear a clean mask. If it is a cloth mask, wash it properly, while disposable masks should not be worn more than once.
• Children must always carry a sanitizer with them. Guide your kid to keep washing hands with soap and water at regular intervals.
• Instruct them to avoid constantly touching their eyes, nose and mouth and only do so after sanitizing their hands.
• The first thing that should be done after coming back home is washing hands with soap and water and disinfecting the things brought from outside such as bags, purse, etc.
• Change the clothes immediately after coming home and if possible, take a bath.
• Ask your kids to inform you in case they experience any symptoms of COVID. If they do, do not panic and contact a doctor, get your kid tested and give him/her medicines as directed.
• At the same time, they must also inform if any of their classmates or peers have tested positive and they must distance themselves from the one having a cold and cough.

Dr. Rajesh explains that it is very important to keep your kids well informed about the current COVID situation and the need of following the precautionary measures. Apart from this, it is also very important to explain to them the importance of having a good immunity and encourage them to have a healthy lifestyle and diet.