MTCC News 3/21

By Samitivej Hospitals
| HEALTH CORNER
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Everybody must continue social distancing to prevent a
second wave of the disease. This is particularly important as
children start their new school term.
• Encourage personal hygiene among children by teaching
them the importance of frequently washing their hands and
not touching their faces, including the eyes and mouth, due to
the increased risk of infection.
• Receiving the influenza vaccination can build immunity and
reduce the risk of respiratory infections, which is important
because COVID-19 is also an infection that affects the lungs
and respiratory tract. Preventing two infections from attacking
your respiratory tract at the same time can help keep you safe.
The COVID-19 situation in Thailand has improved significantly, with many shopping centers once more open for business,
giving people the opportunity to get out of the house.
However, it is vital that everyone strictly adhere to social distancing measures when venturing out to keep themselves and
others safe. It is also an exciting time for children, as they await their school reopening and the chance to meet up with friends
and teachers they have not seen in a long time. Parents may feel uneasy about preparing their children for the return to school.
There have been news from other countries of children who have gone back to school only to contact COVID-19 and become
part of a second wave of the disease. So what can parents do to help keep their children safe?
Whether we are talking about COVID-19 or any other infectious disease, parents must understand and implement preventive
measures. There are often outbreaks of infections or diseases whenever a school reopens after its annual break. Such infections
traditionally include influenza, dengue fever, RSV, and hand, foot and mouth disease. Preventive measures, which can
keep both parents and their children free from illness and disease, remain of paramount importance.
The new normal and children
Preventing the contact of disease is no different for children than it is for adults, although infants may not realise the importance
of what they are being asked to do. Constant reminders and encouragement from their elders, until the positive behavior
becomes a habit, may be necessary to ensure children play their part in the new normal, whether at school, with friends or out
in public. In this way, they will eventually be able to maintain their happiness while staying free from disease. Measures to
follow include:
• Ensure social distancing by remaining at least 1-2 meters apart from other students and teachers, because there is no effective
way to tell where bacteria and germs may be present. This is what is meant by implementing a new way of life with physical
distancing.
• Sit apart while eating. Food shields and separation boards, like those found in shopping centers, provide protection against
coughs, sneezes and airborne saliva.
• Keep a safe distance when standing in line.
• Ensure personal hygiene is maintained by frequently washing hands.
• Do not touch your face, especially the mouth and eyes, as a virus could be present on your hands without your knowledge.
• Teach children to wear a mask at all times, especially in classrooms which are often air-conditioned and lack a steady air flow.
• If a child has symptoms, such as a fever of over 37.5⁰ Celsius, a runny nose, and/or cough, they should stay away from their
classmates and inform a teacher who can remove them from class and request the child’s parents to take them to the hospital
for a thorough diagnosis.
However, as we know all too well, children enjoy getting together and playing with their friends, making it essential that we
teach them how to stay safe and try to keep them occupied in other ways.
l 31 MTCC NEWS l December 2021
Continued page 32