As the coronavirus began to take over media reports in the last few weeks, I began to do my due diligence to make sure I did everything I could to be informed and research ways to protect not only myself, but my family too. My children have been coming home from their respective schools with flyers detailing steps their schools taking to keep our kids safe, while while my kids are bringing home crazy stories about how the virus is contracted and how it is spread. As moms, keeping our kids safe and healthy are some of our number one priorities so this article gives a few insights on what coronaviruses are and how we can keep our children protecting during this outbreak. 

What is Coronavirus COVID-19

According to WHO (World Health Organization) coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from common cold to to more severe diseases. COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. 

What are the symptons of COVID-19

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhea. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems, or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. 

Safety precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19

You can reduce your chances of being infecting or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:

• Regularly wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand rub. Washing and keeping your hands clean kills viruses that may be on your hands.
• Avoid touching hands, nose, and mouth. Your hands can pick up many viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, mouth, or nose. From there the virus can enter your body and make you sick. 
• Follow good respiratory hygiene. Make sure you, and the people around you cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. 
• Stay home if you feel sick. If you have a cough, fever, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Remember, rest is best. 

How likely are you to catch COVID-19

The risk of contracting COVID-19 for most people in most locations is still very low. Stay informed on where the disease is spreading. People living in those areas or visiting are at a higher risk of catching COVID-19. 

To date, there is no vaccine and no antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19. The most effective ways to protect ourselves and our children against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue and maintain distance from people who are coughing or sneezing. It’s up to us to keep our kids safe during this epidemic. 

Information used in this article are courtesy of WHO (World Health Organization). For more information. Check out their website at here.