As a parent, you are always worried about the safety and security of your children. So as the stories about the novel corona virus have started circulating recently, parents are feeling helpless and more worried about their children’s health. To help you know more about the virus, experts from Childcare San Marino, CA is sharing an overview of it.

What is corona virus?

Corona virus is a type of virus that causes illness ranging from the common cold and flu to more serious diseases like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

These viruses were originally transmitted between animals and people. SARS was transmitted from cats to humans whereas MERS has passed to humans from camels.

The name corona virus comes from the Latin word corona, which means crown or halo. If they are looked through a powerful microscope, the image should look like a solar corona.

A new corona virus:

A new human corona virus named the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has been discovered recently in December 2019. As the team of experts reported, it is contagious by nature, but it is still not known how easily it spreads from person to person. The investigation is still going on to learn more about this virus’s impact on human health.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of infection mostly include the following

• Fever
• Cough and cold
• Shortness of breath
• Body aches and headaches
• Tiredness
• Sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Pneumonia

It has been observed that the amount of time between infection and the onset of symptoms ranges from 1 to 12 days. According to the observation of the health experts, most infected people start showing the symptoms within 5 to 6 days.

Precautions to be taken:

• You need to make sure that your children wash their hands properly with soaps and water. Use hand sanitizer if you can't find a washbasin nearby. They should always wash their hands before and after meals, after using the washroom, and after being around someone who is or might be sick.
• Encourage your children to develop some healthy habits like eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep. These healthy habits will help children to have a strong immune system.
• Make sure they have had their flu vaccine. Experts from Childcare San Marino, CA suggest parents not to take it lightly as flu maybe a common sickness but can be dangerous as well.
• Teach children not to touch their mouth, eyes or nose with dirty hands and remind them to carry tissue papers for wiping mouth and nose.
• Teach children to be careful about the things they touch. If possible, have them wear gloves.

Tips to follow if your children have a fever and cough:

• Without wasting time take a trip to the doctor’s office for advice specific to your child and your community.
• Make sure they are drinking enough water. Popsicle sticks are a good way to consume fluids and can soothe a sore throat.
• If they have any congestion, using a humidifier will give them comfort.
• Make sure they take enough rest and watch out for any warning symptom.

It is advisable not to panic and be careful and updated about the recently discovered viruses.