How to Protect Your Child Who Can't Get the COVID-19 Vaccine Yet

How to Protect Your Child Who Can’t Get the COVID-19 Vaccine Yet here is information of covid 19 care tips mask care tips for kids

Most COVID-19 infections have been in adults, but kids can get infected. In children, the virus sometimes causes a mild illness, or no symptoms at all. But some babies and children have gotten very sick from the virus, sometimes weeks after becoming infected. Kids under age 2 can’t wear masks or get a COVID-19 vaccine. So, it’s important to protect them in other ways.

getting a vaccine and booster shot when possible
social distancing (also called physical distancing)
washing hands well and often
in some cases, mask-wearing (over age 2)

How Does Wearing Masks Help?

Coronavirus can spread when people breathe, talk, cough, or sneeze. This is true even for people who feel fine and have no symptoms — they can still be infected and not know it. When someone wears a mask, it keeps the virus from reaching other people if they are infected, and also protects them from catching the virus from others.

And children under 2 years old are protected from infection when people around them wear masks.

COVID-19

Why Shouldn’t a Baby or Toddler Wear a Mask?

Babies and toddlers under 2 years old shouldn’t wear a mask because:

They have smaller airways, so breathing through a mask is harder for them.
If it’s hard for them to breathe and they can’t tell anyone or take the covering off by themselves, they could suffocate.
Some homemade masks might have pieces that a baby could choke on, such as strings or elastic bands.
They will likely try to remove the mask, causing them to touch their face a lot. This can increase their risk of catching and spreading the virus.

How Can I Protect My Baby or Toddler From Coronavirus Infection?

You can protect your little one by avoiding large crowds and keeping a safe distance (at least 6 feet) from other people when out of the house.

To help stop the spread of the virus:

Anyone in your household who can get a COVID-19 vaccine should do so. Booster shots also are recommended for adults and kids 12 and older.
Avoid people who are sick.
Wash your hands well and often, and teach others in your home to do the same. This is especially important:
- when you go back into your home from being outside
- before handling your child
- before breastfeeding or preparing a bottle or food
Clean surfaces and objects that people touch a lot (like doorknobs, countertops, and cellphones).
Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Sneeze or cough into a tissue or your elbow, not your hands.
Wear a mask at home if you are sick. Try to limit contact with your child until your symptoms are gone.
If you take your child out in an infant carrier, you can place a blanket over the carrier while it’s within your view. Make sure the blanket doesn’t touch the baby. Wipe down the carrier or stroller when you get home.

Can I Take My Child to the Doctor’s Office for Vaccines and Other Care?

Yes. Doctors’ offices have taken steps to keep patients safe. These include regular deep cleaning, limiting the number of people in waiting areas, screening people who enter the building, and requiring masks for anyone over 2 years old.

When you call, ask the staff what they’re doing to keep patients safe so you can be prepared. For example, they may allow only one parent or caregiver to go with the child.

Stay in touch with your child’s doctor about:

Vaccines and well visits. Keeping your child’s vaccines up to date is a key way to keep your child healthy. Ask how your health care provider is giving vaccines and doing regular checkups. Some do well visits through tele health while others might postpone an in-person visit. For newborns or children with complex medical conditions, they may want to schedule an in-person visit right away. They will work with you to answer your questions and make sure your child gets any needed vaccines and checkups.
Sick visits. If you think your child is sick, don’t wait to get care. Call your doctor for advice or instructions.

Call 911 right away if your child might have a health emergency. Signs include your child turning blue, not breathing, being very sleepy or hard to wake up, or being unconscious.

Returning to school has taken on new meaning and a new set of worries for parents and other caregivers during the age of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Schools must now balance the educational, social and emotional needs of their students along with the health and safety of students and staff in the midst of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision on what school and learning looks like is usually made on the local level by school boards and government officials. Overall, schools largely choose from one of three options:

Distance learning. All instruction is done remotely in this model using technology and other tools.
In-person schooling. This model is similar to traditional schooling with enhanced health and safety precautions and procedures.
Hybrid schooling. This model includes elements of both distance and in-person schooling.

Schools may adopt one or more approaches during the course of the school year and pandemic. Being prepared for a variety of schooling environments can empower you and your child and reduce anxiety. In each case, there are steps you can take to reduce the risks of COVID-19, help your child feel safe and make informed decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social distancing, or physical distancing, is the practice of allowing enough space between individuals to reduce the spread of disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend keeping at least 6 feet (2 meters) of space between yourself and people outside your household when in indoor places to meet these goals.

But that might not be practical in some schools or with younger children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says following strict physical distancing can conflict with ideal academic, social and emotional learning standards. It’s also not clear how easily COVID-19 spreads among children.

Steps to encourage social distancing during in-person schooling may include:

Eliminating lockers or grouping them by student groups, or cohorts
Creating one-way traffic in school hallways
Using outdoor spaces when possible for instruction, meals and recess
Reducing the number of children on school buses
Spacing desks out and having them all face in the same direction
Using physical barriers, such as plexiglass shields and partitions, to separate educators and students
Dividing students up into distinct groups or cohorts that stay together during the school day and reducing interaction between different groups

Weighing the risks and benefits of in-person schooling for children may mean different levels of social distancing based on the child’s age and developmental stage. For example, the AAP recommends allowing interactive play for preschoolers while encouraging cohorting of students and face coverings for older children.

Wear a mask

Wear a face mask in indoor public spaces, such as schools, in some cases. If you’re in an area with a high number of people with V in the hospital and new COVID-19 cases, the CDC recommends wearing a well-fitted mask indoors in public, whether or not you’re vaccinated.

If your child’s school requires or encourages the use of face masks, consider these tips:

Wearing face masks should be a priority especially when it’s hard to maintain social distance, such as on the bus, at carpool drop-off or pickup, and when entering the building.
Have multiple face masks available for your child. Provide your child with a clean mask and back-up mask each day and a clean, resalable bag for them to store the mask when they can’t wear it, such as at lunch.
Label your child’s mask clearly so it’s not confused with another child’s.
Practice properly putting on and taking off face masks with your child while avoiding touching the cloth portions.
Remind your child that they should clean their hands before and after touching their mask.
Instruct your child to never share or trade masks with others.
Talk to your child about the importance of wearing a face mask and model wearing them as a family.
Discuss with your child why some people may not be able to wear face masks for medical reasons.

Don’t place a face mask on a child younger than age 2, covid 19 and mask care a child who has any breathing problems, or a child who has a condition that would prevent him or her from being able to remove the mask without help.

Keep hands clean

Practice hand-washing at home with your child and explain why it’s important to wash his or her hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before and after eating, coughing/sneezing, or adjusting a face mask. To prevent rushing, suggest washing hands for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. When hand-washing isn’t available, suggest that your child use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Also, explain that he or she should avoid touching his or her eyes, nose, and mouth.

Schools should encourage routines that encourage frequent hand-washing and following good hand hygiene practices. Covid 19 mask care Tips such as asking children to cover their mouths and noses with their elbows or tissues when they cough or sneeze and then washing their hands.

If your child attends in-person schooling, develop daily routines before and after school that foster healthy habits, such as packing a back-up face mask and hand sanitizer in the morning and washing their hands as soon as they come home.

Clean and disinfect

Whether your child is being school at home or at school, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touch surfaces can help reduce the risk of illness. This includes frequently touched items such as doorknobs, faucets, keyboards, tablets and phones.

Stay home if sick

You should monitor your child each day for signs of COVID-19. These include:

Fever
Nasal congestion or runny nose
Cough
Sore throat
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle aches
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Poor appetite
New loss of taste or smell
Belly pain
Pink eye

Some schools may recommend daily temperature readings as a part of COVID-19 symptom screening. But since many of these symptoms overlap with other conditions, such as the common cold, allergies and influenza, the effectiveness of this screening can limited.

To limit the spread of COVID-19 as well as other germs, children should stay home from school and other activities if they have any signs of illness or a fever. Contact your doctor if you have questions.

Don’t skip vaccinations

Whether classes are happening at school or at home, make sure your child is up to date with all recommended vaccines. All school-age children should get a flu shot each season. Covid 19 mask care Tips Getting a flu vaccine is especially important this season because the flu and COVID-19 cause similar common signs and symptoms. Although the flu shot does not protect against COVID-19, it can reduce the risk of the flu and its complications. It’s another layer of defense to help prevent missed school days.

What to do if your child is expose to COVID-19

If your child will be attending in-person school, take steps to be prepare for possible exposure to COVID-19 and changing scenarios.

Develop a plan to protect family and household members who are at risk of severe illness, Covid 19 mask care Tips such as those with compromised immune systems or chronic conditions.
Make sure that your emergency contact information and school pickup and drop-off information is current at school. If that list includes anyone who is at risk of illness, consider adding an alternate contact.
Find out how your school will communicate with families when a positive case or exposure to someone with COVID-19 happens and how they plan to maintain student privacy.
Plan ahead for periods of quarantine or school closures. Schools may close if COVID-19 is spreading more in your community or if multiple children or staff test positive. Your child may also need to stay home if he or she is expose to a close contact with COVID-19

Following these steps can help you feel assured. Covid 19 mask care Tips that your child is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on what measures your local schools are taking to reduce the risk of illness, check with your local school district or health agency.

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