Methods of Protecting Your School Going Child from Coronavirus

Face-to-face training, which has been suspended for a long time with the Covid 19 pandemic process, is starting this week. During this period, parents and teachers are concerned about the protection of children from coronavirus and the Delta variant. While vaccination has an important place among the prevention methods; Compliance with hygiene, mask and distance rules are also first-line measures. Specialist from Memorial Ankara Hospital Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Memnune Aladağ made important suggestions for the protection of children's health in schools during the pandemic process.

Delta variant also causes symptoms in children

Covid-19 infection, which affects the whole world, has a milder clinical course in childhood. Coronavirus, which is mostly asymptomatic (asymptomatic) or survived with mild symptoms in children, usually causes mild fever, cough, diarrhea, loss of taste and smell in older children. However, due to the Delta variant, which continues to increase its effect, it is now known that children have increased symptoms and hospitalizations; With the start of face-to-face education in schools, the rate of coronavirus transmission is expected to increase. For these reasons, effective measures should be taken by both students, parents and school administrations in schools. Keeping schools open with the measures to be taken by families and schools is of great importance in terms of the academic, social and psychological status of children.

Symptoms of seasonal diseases may be mistaken for coronavirus

Due to the interaction of children with the opening of schools, seasonal diseases and other influenza infections are expected to spread in this period. Symptoms of diseases such as seasonal flu can also be confused with Covid-19 at first, as fever, cough and runny nose are also present. In order not to confuse the diseases with each other, children with such symptoms should be isolated from other children and their families should be informed. Families, on the other hand, should not send their sick children to school until they recover, and should immediately consult a specialist doctor to protect the health of other children and the community.

Things to consider at school 

Measures to be taken by both families and school administrations to prevent Covid 19 infection will significantly reduce the rate of transmission and ensure the continuity of children's education. In this context, the measures that schools and parents can take can be listed as follows:

1. Social distancing should be observed in schools and appropriate seating arrangements should be provided.
2. The sitting arrangement of children in the classroom should always be the same in order to follow up the contacts.
3. School activities should be done outdoors as much as possible.
4. Appropriate ventilation conditions should be provided in training environments, masks should be worn to prevent contagion.
5. Hand hygiene should be paid attention to when entering and exiting the classroom and cafeteria.
6. School supplies such as pens and books should be personal, and common use should be reduced.
7. Children should be in the same educational environment throughout the day, common classrooms and the cafeteria should be well ventilated and disinfected.
8. Isolation should be provided without delay in order to cut off the contact of students with symptoms of illness with other children and these children should be sent home.
9. Informative but not intimidating warning images about hygiene rules and practices should be hung in various parts of the school.
10. Whenever possible, parents, teachers, as well as age-appropriate students should choose to be vaccinated.
11. Food should not be fed in the educational environment and precautions should be taken to prevent crowding in the cafeteria.
12. Distance and hand hygiene should be provided while eating
13. Guests and parents should not enter the school except for necessity.
14. In the service, attention should be paid to the sitting arrangement, social distance and wearing a mask. Driver and guide person should act consciously about Covid-19 rules
15. Parents should not send their children with symptoms to school, and they should pay close attention to the symptoms of Covid -19. Because parents who are sick can put the health of other children and teachers, namely the society, at risk through their children.