Jan 21, 2023
Impact of COVID on children
COVID has had a heavy impact on kids with their education turning completely online and restrictions on their outdoor playtime. Although those restrictions are now lifted, the new variants of covid pose a threat to kids along with adults.
Symptoms to never ignore
Dr. Pavithra Venkatagopalan, Coronavirologist, and Covid Awareness Specialist, Rotary Club of Madras NextGen, says, “Sometimes parents tend to ignore symptoms of body aches and headaches in kids as minor ailments, let them play with other kids in playgrounds without maintaining social distance, and do not ensure proper mask-wearing. This increases the risk of viral infections among kids.”
Vaccination status:
Vaccinations are not available for very young kids; therefore, parents must pay special attention to the signs and symptoms of any ailment in their kids. They must educate their children on the do’s and don’ts of covid appropriate behavior like washing hands properly, keeping the mask on, not playing with somebody who has flu-like symptoms.
COVID symptoms amongst kids
Children do not show separate symptoms of covid from adults. The signs are similar, which are coughing, shortness of breath, fever, chills, and headaches. There is a need to pay more attention to kids because they are still completely unvaccinated. Schools are open and especially for the younger kids, wearing a mask at all times is not possible so they could already have been exposed to the variants circulating around.
Precautionary measures for kids:
Dr. Venkatagopalan says, “The precautions for kids are all the precautions that adults have to take. However, an added important step is to ensure that the child is vaccinated with all the other vaccines they are eligible for as well. All children 12 years of age and older are eligible for the covid vaccine and parents must also take them for the annual flu vaccine to protect them from the flu and its severe symptoms. In this way, the children will have stronger lungs and immunity even if they encounter covid in the future.
Diet plays an important role:
Children must be given a balanced and nutrient-rich diet. Parents should also ensure to give them immunity-building supplements like chyawanprash and fish oil. This will bolster their immunity from within and increase their disease-fighting capability.