
Pandemic, sheesh. These are scary times. Just a little advice from your favorite brain detectives on how to keep those kids as healthy as possible when illness lurks around every corner.
1) It’s not too late to get the flu shot. If you or your child missed that fall/winter shot, it is still possible that getting one now can help. Although the flu shot takes a few weeks to help and does not cover all strains of the flu (including the new coronavirus), it can reduce the length and severity of illness if they do get the flu.
2) WASH YOUR HANDS! One of the best things you can do is to wash your hands the right way. This means using an antibacterial soap if you can (or regular soap if your can’t) and rubbing suds around for a good 20 to 30 seconds before you put your hands back in the water. Whether you are singing the birthday song two times or counting 1-Mississippi until you get there, don’t cut it short. Take the time and get suds on the top, bottom, between fingers, under nails, and around the wrists. Use a paper towel and hold on to it until you can exit the bathroom. Nothing worse that adding all those germs back right away by touching the nasty door handle on your way out.
3) Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue. Although they teach kids to use their elbow, that means germs on your sleeves. Use a tissue when you can, toss it in the trash, and wash or sanitize your hands before you get back to what you were doing.
4) Don’t share! If you are feeling unwell, don’t share with others by coughing, sneezing, and sharing germs. It’s not nice. All the cool kids stay home when they are sick. Although it is a major drag on work, life, and all things related to productivity, when a child is sick they should stay home. Fever means contagious, so don’t go back to the real world until that fever goes away and stays away without medicine.
5) Remember that this new coronavirus is new, but is still just a strain of flu. Although there is no treatment, we can avoid getting sick in the first place.