Buzz
1. Ensure Your Child Gets Enough Sleep and Engages in Suitable Physical Activities
Although your child is staying home from school, it’s important to make sure they follow a consistent sleep schedule, getting enough rest and taking regular naps. Avoid allowing them to watch TV or play video games for extended periods. Encourage physical activities like skipping rope, hula hooping, cycling, walking up and down stairs at home, or playing hide and seek.
2. Ensure the Home Environment Remains Clean and Safe
During the period when your child is staying home to avoid the spread of the virus, it's essential to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of infection. Ask all family members to follow these practices strictly:
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue, dispose of it immediately in a covered trash bin, and wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
- Wash hands immediately after returning home from outside, and change into clean clothes before interacting with the child.
- Avoid hugging or kissing your child, do not share food or eating utensils, and never blow on the child’s food to cool it down. If you need to cool food, transfer it to a separate bowl and let it cool before serving, and cover it to prevent insects from getting in.
- Do not share personal items like towels, toothbrushes, or drinking glasses. Wash towels regularly and keep them dry, airing them in a sunny and ventilated place, avoiding damp, dark areas.
- All family members should gargle with saltwater before bed, after waking up, and after visiting crowded places to help prevent the virus.
- Avoid taking your child to crowded places like supermarkets, cinemas, and parks. Ensure they wear a mask correctly when going outside, wash their hands, and change clothes and shoes as soon as they return home. Dispose of the mask properly in a trash bin.
- Keep windows open to allow air circulation, opening them 2-3 times a day for 30-60 minutes each time. If possible, purchase an air purifier for your home.
- Regularly clean the floors using disinfectant solutions containing chlorine bleach, and sanitize surfaces around the home with an appropriate disinfectant.
- Clean electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, remote controls, and children's toys daily to ensure they are germ-free.
- If any family member is suspected or confirmed to have the virus, disinfect all items and rooms they have used. Also, clean the floors with a disinfectant solution containing chlorine bleach 4-10 times a day.
3. Avoid Staying in Sealed Rooms with Air Conditioning
There is a common belief that staying in a sealed room with air conditioning and avoiding going outside is the safest way to prevent coronavirus infection. However, many experts suggest that when the weather is warm, with temperatures between 20-25°C, viruses and bacteria are less likely to spread and are less active. Therefore, we can use temperature to reduce the virus's potency, and it's important not to stay in rooms that are too cold and to ensure proper ventilation in the home.
4. Avoid Allowing Your Child to Interact with Pets
According to the WHO, there is currently no evidence to suggest that household pets (such as dogs and cats) can contract or transmit nCoV. However, experts still advise that everyone, especially children, should wash their hands with soap and water after interacting with pets. This helps protect against bacteria like E. Coli and Salmonella, which can be transmitted from pets to humans.
5. Ensure Your Child Washes Their Hands Properly and at the Right Times
At this time, it's more important than ever for parents to pay attention to their children's handwashing habits. Teach your child to wash their hands properly with soap, hand sanitizer, or antibacterial hand gel frequently, and try to limit touching their face.
6. Ensure Your Child Stays Properly Hydrated
Parents should ensure that their children drink enough water, especially warm water (if living in a cold climate) to keep the body warm, and to keep the throat and respiratory mucous membranes moist.
7. Follow a Balanced Diet to Strengthen Your Child's Immune System
During this time, it’s crucial to focus on increasing the consumption of health-boosting foods, such as protein-rich foods, fresh vegetables, and fruits packed with vitamins and minerals. Additionally, consider incorporating certain foods and spices known to enhance immunity, such as garlic, ginger, onions, turmeric, and lemongrass. These ingredients stimulate the immune system by activating cytokines and macrophages to perform immune functions.
