The current outbreak of novel coronavirus pandemic has left human beings uncertain and fearful of their lives. With the massive number of lives at risk, COVID-19 has affected humankind in ways we have never imagined is possible. Even though the risk involved is higher in old age individuals, everyone is at risk.
Children are no exception and are exposed to the severe pandemic disease that is turning out to be more disastrous and challenging each passing day. With 192 countries and territories affected by the novel COVID-19, the World Health Organization has now declared it as a pandemic.
Amidst such global crisis, children are in a critical situation irrespective that they are not in the high-risk segment of coronavirus patients.
Can Children Get Infected With COVID-19?
Yes, children can be affected with novel coronavirus if they come in close contact with any infected COVID-19 patient. Or, if the child touches or makes contact with any contaminated surface, then also the transmission of the virus is possible. Such flu-like infections are transmitted through respiratory droplets produced while coughing and sneezing primarily.
Hence, a child can get infected if these droplets somehow enter their respiratory system. Therefore, it is essential to keep your child safe and help them take the necessary coronavirus precautions so that they can survive this uncertain time.
How is Children's Health affected?
Getting infected with the coronavirus infection can have a severe impact on your child's health and hence always be on the lookout for the symptoms. Below mentioned are a few coronavirus symptoms that you must be wary of –
Cough
Fever
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Diarrhoea
Organ failures
Body ache, etc.
Make sure to seek medical advice if your child shows any such symptoms.
Besides, COVID-19 doesn't necessarily have a singular effect over a child's health. It can affect both their physical as well as mental health.
How is Physical Health Affected?
With schools shut down and several cities undergoing a lockdown, children have to remain confined to their houses, and hence they have limited scope for physical activities. And with multiple gadgets and study pressure, they may completely lack in physical activities. This can have a severe impact on one's health, such as
Cause lethargy
Obesity
Digestive problems, etc.
Hence, you need to keep your children engage in tasks that involve physical activity. Ensuring this will keep your children safe during the lockdown due to the coronavirus disease.
How is Mental Health Affected?
Schools are closed, exams are postponed, and the entire world is fighting a severe pandemic named coronavirus. In this scenario, a child's mental health is also critically impacted. You need to keep them informed about the disease while not troubling their psyches. They need to have the right information conveyed in a manner that it doesn't stress them.
Furthermore, students whose exams have been postponed are susceptible to anxiety as they are uncertain about when the next examination will be scheduled. Moreover, this can cause stress among students, which isn't good for their mental health.
To aid such worrying students and parents in these times of distress, Vedantu provides live classes to all students. Our classes are segregated for every standard in chapter-wise formats to help students prepare for their exams during this break.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, students now can study and learn conveniently from the safety of their homes. This helps in reducing the stress level of students significantly as they get a study companion by their side during this outbreak.
Moreover, in order to make sure that parents aren't worrying themselves out by continually thinking about their child's safety and academic progress, we have made our interactive live classes free.
You can register to our website or download our app and help your kid with the preparation. Now scoring high marks isn't as difficult as it used to be, with online tuition in place.
How can Children Getting Infected Affect the Whole World?
Unlike old individuals, children have immune systems that are yet to be developed. And hence, there can be instances where a child gets infected without even showing the symptoms. In such cases, the disease remains undiagnosed as the infected child doesn't show any symptoms. But, a child can spread the infection to another's body and hence can put them in riskier condition
Older people have weaker immune systems, and they are in a potentially risky situation if they get infected. With a more vulnerable immune system, they find it difficult to fight the effects of coronavirus. Hence, alongside children, the older family members are also at critical danger of exposure to the coronavirus.
To prevent coronavirus from spreading, the government has cancelled international commute for the time being along with the cancellation of interstate trains, etc. Further, the Indian government has also declared that schools will remain closed until 31st March and it can be further extended if the situation doesn't subside.
Present Coronavirus Case Scenario
As the total number of coronavirus cases reached 3,82,455 as of 24rd March 2020, the pandemic disease is taking an awful face across the world. Although these numbers mostly consist of adults, a handful of children have been infected with the virus as well. Thereby, children are potential carriers of the virus and might be responsible for transmitting the disease further.
In China, an infant was found to be infected with COVID-19 right after 30 hours of birth. Even though healthcare professionals couldn't determine if the transmission happened after birth or through the mother's womb, the fact is clear that children, even infants, can get infected with the disease.
As per reports,
8.1% positive coronavirus cases happened to be teenagers.
0.9% positive cases were amongst children with age 9 or below.
Considering the possibility that kids are getting infected, it becomes essential to take preventive measures to keep them protected.
Therefore, you as a parent need to make sure that your kids are safe from the epidemic coronavirus disease. Help them follow the necessary precautionary measures while adhering to the same regime yourself.
Prevention Tips You Should Adhere for Your Child's Safety
Tip 1: Wash hands thoroughly and frequently. Use a hand wash, soap, or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean it.
Tip 2: Don't touch your nose, mouth, or eyes with unwashed hands.
Tip 3: Stay at home and don't go out until it is extremely necessary. Keep your kids at home only.
Tip 4: Make sure to keep the house clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces to prevent contamination.
Tip 5: Avoid close contact with anyone infected or showing symptoms, or ill. Maintain distance with anyone coughing or sneezing (at least 1 metre).
Tip 6: Maintain good sanitisation habits and hygiene.
Tip 7: Have a close look at the symptoms and make sure to consult medical care in case you feel ill.
Tip 8: Maintain good respiratory habits like covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing using a handkerchief or tissue paper. Subsequently, dispose of the tissue paper immediately.
Adhering to these safety habits will ensure that your child is safe, and so are you. Further, at this severe situation caused by a coronavirus, you need to be sure of your child's safety and confining them to houses is the need of the hour.
Therefore, you need to ascertain that your kid remains indoors without having an adverse impact on their health. Consequently, you need to come up with a routine where you allot time proportionately among academic tasks, hobbies and games, and physical activity as well.
Help them pick a hobby of their interest which can refresh their mind and help them relax from the study sessions. Besides, create a routine which works in tandem with the scheduled live classes where you register.
Understand the subjects and areas where your kid lacks and register for such scheduled sessions with our professional and experienced tutors.
Now keep your child's preparation undeterred with our study material and NCERT Solutions Class 1 to 12 all subjects available on Vedantu site.
