Worried about how to protect your children during Covid 19? Check home care guidelines here

Amid the ongoing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic speculations of the third wave of the virus to impact children has become one of the major concerns. People are worried about how to protect their children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Ayush has recently released home care guidelines for children during the pandemic. One can follow these guidelines issued to take care of their children.

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Check the guidelines here:

Hand washing:

1. Educate children to regularly wash their hands for minimum 20 seconds with soap and water, while singing the rhymes/songs like ABCs. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer having minimum 60% of alcohol, can be used in place unavailability of soap and water.

2. Train children to wash hands after using toilets, coughing, sneezing, nose blowing, before eating and immediately when coming inside from outdoor play.

3. Offering a small reward may be helpful in case, if child is not willingly wash their hands.

Proper mask:

1. Parents should educate their child about importance of wearing mask when they are out of their home in the public places.

2. For children aged 12 and over mask is mandatory, supervision is not required. While for children age between 5-12 years mask is mandatory, under parent’s supervision. For 2-5 years of age children mask is desirable, under the parent’s supervision.

3. Masks should be avoided in case of children aged less than 2 years, having breathing difficulty or unconsciousness, inability to remove the mask without help, non-medical or fabric mask is preferable for children who are in good general health.

4. Medical masks desirable for children suffering from immune-comprising disorders like Cancer, AIDS, Diabetes etc.

5. Parents should ensure adequate stock at home. Children and adolescents like attractive, colorful, trendy masks. Provide them such masks for a good compliance.

6. Three layered cotton masks are preferred. Valve masks should be avoided.

7. Select a snuggly fitting mask of proper size for the child which covers the nose, the mouth and the chin completely, but doesn’t cause trouble while breathing.

8. Train their children with appropriate mask manners like wash/sanitize hands before donning the mask, touch only at the strings and not from the front and put on the mask by hooking or tying appropriately, take a deep breath and ensure that there is no difficulty, never touch the mask from the front. Adjust only by holding the strings, don’t use wet, dirty or damaged masks, do not use accessary clothing like Dupatta/ Gamchha as mask, etc.

Social distancing

1. Avoid attending public functions, social gathering, crowded places like parks, religious places, markets and group play.

2. Avoid traveling and stay at home in possible limits.

3. Help the kids stay connected with friends and extended family members through available sources like video and phone calls.

4. A distance of preferably 6 feet or at least 3 feet should be observed while outside the house.

Respiratory hygiene

1. Educate children to cover nose and mouth with tissue paper / handkerchief or with bent elbow or in sleeve when coughing or sneezing. Care should be taken that the droplets do not touch the palms or are not be liberated in the air.

2. Ensure immediate and proper disposal of the tissue paper and washing of the handkerchief.

3. Advice social distancing with anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

It is very important to monitor the child carefully for following signs /symptoms at home. If any of them is present, one should take a medical opinion.

1. Fever lasting beyond 4 or 5 days.

2. Decreased oral intake by child.

3. Child becoming lethargic.

4. Increasing respiratory rate.

5. Oxygen saturation dropping below 95%.

6. Diarrhoea/vomiting/pain in abdomen/ Red eyes/rash over body, Irritability, unconsciousness, poor urine output.