Tips To Take Care Of Your Children At Home If They Or You Are Sick With COVID-19

Is the second wave of COVID-19 impacting children and young adults more? Three out of four top pediatricians that ET Now spoke to say they are definitely seeing more cases of children with Covid-19 now as compared to last year.

At a time when our health care system is overwhelmed with the lack of hospital beds and oxygen, it becomes all the more essential to understand how to take care of your children if they or you have tested positive for the virus. Below are some of the tips:

If your child has COVID

• Monitor your child for symptoms
• If calling an ambulance, tell the dispatcher that the child has/may have COVID-19.
• If going to the hospital in a private vehicle, call ahead to the hospital and let them know that the child has/may have COVID-19.

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• Wash your hands and those of your child often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after any type of contact with the child (e.g. changing diapers) and after removing gloves.
• Or, use an alcohol-based sanitizer (ABHS) that contains at least 60% alcohol. If hands look dirty, remove dirt with a wet wipe first, then use ABHS.
• Dry hands with disposable paper towels. If not available, use a reusable towel and replace it when it becomes wet. Do not share.
• Your child should remain in your home or in a monitored outdoor space, should not play with friends or go to school or to public areas, and should not be within 2 metres of others if possible.

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• Encourage the child to use tissues or cough/sneeze into their elbow to decrease the spread of respiratory droplets.
• For breastfeeding mothers: given the health benefits to your child from breastfeeding, it is recommended that you continue breastfeeding. If you are feeding with formula or expressed milk, sterilize the equipment carefully before each use and do not share bottles or a breast pump.
  
• Protect yourself, only one healthy person should provide care for the child, but everyone in your home should follow this guidance.
  

IF you have COVID

• Monitor yourself for symptoms and follow any advice provided by your local public health authority about quarantine (self-isolating).
• If you develop even mild symptoms, isolate yourself as quickly as possible and contact your local Public Health Authority for further instructions.
• Avoid sending your child away to grandparents house. There is a chance the child is asymptomatic and infect them at a vulnerable age.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and encourage your child not to touch their face, either.
• Do not share personal items with the child, such as toothbrushes, towels, bed linen, utensils or electronic devices. Do not share food and drinks.
• Use a separate bathroom from the child if possible. If not possible, put the toilet lid down before flushing.

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• Keep your environment clean. Place used gloves and other contaminated items in a lined container, secure the contents and dispose of them with other household waste.
• To disinfect, use only approved hard-surface disinfectants.
• If you need to be within 2 metres of the child, wear disposable gloves, eye protection and a medical mask.
• Maintain these supplies at home: Medical masks, eye protection (face shield or goggles) for use by caregiver, disposable gloves, disposable paper towels, thermometer, basic medicines, hand soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, Regular household cleaning products/ disinfectant, etc.

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Design a crisis plan

Before you get sick, make a crisis plan:

• Who is going to take care of your kids?
• Identify nearby friends or family members who can help and are not in a high-risk population.
• Post potential caregiver contact information prominently so that emergency responders can find it.
• If you have no one to ask, a hospital can usually advise you on community resources for families in crisis.

Symptoms to look out for

Among the symptoms to watch out among children that doctors flag off are:

• Fever above 102 degrees
• Fast breathing
• Passing urine less than six times a day
• Child who is not eating adequately

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• Rashes
• Changes in coughing patterns if already coughing
• Irritability
• New onset of headaches

Disclaimer: These are the measures suggested as precautions and not a verified treatment. In case of emergency, reach out to your doctor and proceed as advised by them.