Coronavirus infection: Things to do if your school going child is yet to be vaccinated (or is not eligible for vaccination yet)

Every other day reports of school going kids getting infected with the coronavirus is coming to the fore. While this is an alarming situation for parents, a tough decision is required here as in view of the pandemic, schools were closed for 2 years and the education of the kids has suffered a lot.

While state governments are taking all measures not to disturb the education of school children, rising COVID cases is a thing to worry about. As on Sunday, 27% of the total 51 COVID patients admitted in various hospitals in Delhi were kids.

Parents are worried that the number of COVID cases in school kids can snowball very quickly just like it was in the three waves of the infection. Within no time, people were seen struggling to survive through the infection during the second wave of the infection. Even the Omicron took over the Delta variant within a few days; though the cases were mild and there were less hospital cases, the fear of the virus has not gone away completely.

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At this stage, every government and administration is keen to get back students to school. The loss that education has suffered is irreparable. As per a UNICEF report, in low- and middle-income countries, learning losses to school closures have left up to 70 percent of 10-year-olds unable to read or understand a simple text, up from 53 per cent pre-pandemic and more than 370 million children globally missed out on school meals during school closures, losing what is for some children the only reliable source of food and daily nutrition.

• Do not scare the child with coronavirus or COVID
• Tell them about the virus and how it can affect the health
• Teach them why we should as a family and as a member of the society should do our part in keeping the virus at a distance
• Explain it to them what would happen if they don't follow COVID guidelines
• Ask them to keep hands clean
• Pack few wipes, a hand sanitizer, few clean handkerchiefs in the school bag
• Encourage them to wear mask all the time
• Tell them to be friendly with classmates, instead of acting hostile
• Advise them to speak to you regarding health related issues
• Suggest them to talk to their teachers in case they feel uneasy in the class
• If they see any classmate not feeling well, they should immediately inform the teacher
• Make them vigilant about anti-COVID activities; teach them to avoid being in such situations