If you've been worried about the concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus and you have children, you need to know how to protect them. With so many concerns about the illness, you want to make sure that you know how to care for them. Here are some tips to help keep your children healthy.

Teach Your Kids to Wash Their Hands

If your children go to school in a high-risk area where identified cases of the coronavirus have occurred, the first thing you need to do is teach them the importance of proper handwashing. Maintaining clean hands will help prevent the transfer of the coronavirus, especially when proper procedures are followed. First, your children should always use warm water when washing their hands. Second, they should always use soap washing their hands. Finally, they should always wash their hands for at least 20 seconds per session. If your children don't have access to handwashing facilities throughout the day, be sure to keep them supplied with hand sanitizer. 

Make Their Face a No-Touch Zone

If you're worried about your children coming in contact with the coronavirus, teach them to make their faces a no-touch zone. When your children touch their faces, especially their noses, eyes, and mouths, they run the risk of transferring germs and bacteria to themselves. One of the best ways to protect your children from the coronavirus is to teach your children to keep their hands away from their faces, especially when their hands are dirty or they're out in public. 

Protect Your Kids Against the Flu

If you're concerned about the coronavirus, you may have forgotten about other illnesses that can harm your children, including influenza. You might not realize this, but influenza can cause serious health problems for your children. In fact, children ages 5 years and younger are particularly at risk. Unfortunately, those are the children who are less likely to be able to wash their own hands or keep their hands away from their faces. To protect your children from the flu, you should be sure that they receive their annual vaccinations. 

Know When to Call the Pediatrician 

Now that you're trying to protect your children from two serious illnesses, coronavirus and the flu, you need to know when to call the pediatrician. Unfortunately, that can be difficult to do, especially when there are multiple illnesses at play. To protect your children, you should call your pediatrician as soon as your children develop a fever or cough or they have difficulty breathing. If your children develop severe coughing episodes that aren't controlled, or if their fever isn't controlled through over-the-counter medication, seek immediate medical care. Contact resources like Ada Pediatrics PA to learn more.

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