COVID-19: How To Protect Our Kids in The Third Wave of Pandemic

The recent news of 8000 children testing positive from just one district of Maharashtra for COVID-19 has left parents anxious, alarmed, and worried.

Mukesh and Seema are shaken to the core, reason, a recent news article in the leading newspaper. The article was titled, “8000 kids test positive in just one Maharashtra district”. Hearing such news is devastating for everyone, but parents are now more worried due to this.

COVID-19 has kept parents on their toes. They have spent an entire year battling on various fronts. Putting food on the plate, managing household expenses with just half or no income, paying bills, keeping family protected, the list goes on. As if these many battlefronts were not enough, recent studies suggest a 3rd COVID-19 wave could be in the coming.

The recent discovery of 8000 infections in children has made parents more worried. All parents want to know how to protect their children.

COVID-19 infection in children comes in two forms, i.e., pneumonia-like symptoms and  Multisystem-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children(MIS-C). MIS-C is found in children who have recovered from COVID-19. On top of such sad news, the three vaccines currently available in India, Covishield, Covaxin, or Sputnik V, are currently not lisenced for use in children.

Mukesh and Seema are not just the only parents anxiously waiting for the vaccination window to open. Providing vaccination to children will help in containing the virus. It will slow down its spread in the community and at the same time help attain herd immunity.

So, what to do in the meantime? Mukesh and Seema decided to approach Dr. Manvi Singh, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Telemedicine Department, PGIMER, Chandigarh to get an answer to this critical question.

“Prevention is better than cure. Till the vaccines are ready for the children, we must focus on building their overall physical and mental resilience. ,” said Dr. Singh. “Simple steps like ensuring personal hygiene, maintaining physical activity, and consuming nourishing meals can go a long way in bolstering the immune system and controlling the virus spread in the community. .”

• Preventive Actions: Strictly follow preventive measures laid down by the government and local authorities; they are for our well-being. 
  • Wash Hands – Encourage children to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds without fail.
  • Wear Mask – Ensure children above 2 years of age keep their face covered with a mask properly when going out of the house.
  • Maintain Social Distancing – Inform children to maintain social distancing and stay away from crowds. Also, it is crucial to tell them to stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing.
• Physical Activities – Keep children physically active; this helps digest food properly and builds their immune system. Please encourage them to do the following tasks instead of watching TV or playing video games on the TV or mobile.
  • Cycling – Motivate them to complete a couple of rounds on their cycle for at least 30 minutes.
  • Walking – Ask children to accompany you on an evening walk.
  • Sports – Challenge them to one on one outdoor sports like badminton. It will help in breaking the monotony of daily routine activities.
• Balanced Diet – Getting children to eat healthy food is a task in itself. But having healthy food in the current situation has become even more critical today. Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet, as they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, which helps keep diseases at bay. If children refuse to have healthy foods, try to incorporate them into other food items. Create dishes like stuffed parathas, wraps, or rolls full of healthy vegetables.

Today, there are a lot of videos available on the Internet. It can teach you how healthy and exciting food for children can be made instantly. Scroll through them to see what your child likes.

• Vaccination of Parents – Parents should get themselves vaccinated at the earliest possible as this will  help to reduce childrens’ exposure to the virus.

The Government is still battling the second wave and, at the same time, vaccinating people at the fastest pace possible. Based on recommendations from health experts, it has started creating pediatric ICU’s equipped with ventilators. Other facilities and other steps are also being taken in preparations against a 3rd COVID-19 wave.

One good news for parents is that the Covaxin trials have started for children. While protecting your children, ensure that you also have a health insurance plan to protect your savings. Health Insurance  Plans provide you financial support in case of any medical emergency. A family floater health insurance plan protects your entire family. Just as Mukesh and Seema got protection, you too can stay protected from huge treatment bills with health insurance.