The new Covid-19 variant Omicron has once again induced panic among people, especially among parents. Use these tips to keep your kids safe and calm.
Due to the surge in cases of Omicron and the unavailability of vaccines for kids in India, parents have every reason to feel the panic.
Precautions that parents need to take for their children:
1. To keep children safe and calm, make sure that they adhere to the Covid-19 protocols of masking, social distancing, and hand sanitizing.
2. Do not touch the eyes, nose, and mouth after touching the disinfected surfaces.
3. It will be imperative for you to wash your hands from time to time.
4. Try to give your children a well-balanced diet that contains all the essential nutrients.
6. Avoid traveling abroad with your children.
7. Get your children vaccinated for flu each year.
8. Avoid going to crowded places with your children.
9. It will also be a good idea to avoid attending social gatherings and parties with your children.
10. If your children showcase symptoms such as scratchy throat, extreme tiredness, or mild muscle ache, consult a doctor.
11. If you have any of these symptoms, you need to isolate yourself from the child.
12. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as faucets, kitchen countertops, furniture, doorknobs, and handles.
13. In case, parents are required to travel in an emergency during these unprecedented times with their children, they need to ensure they follow the Covid-19 protocols.
Zydus Cadila’s anti Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine, ZyCov-D the world’s first plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19, is a three-dose vaccine which will be administered on Day zero, Day 28, and Day 56. It has been approved in the country for use in people 12 years of age and older. The vaccine is delivered via a “painless” intradermal applicator, making it essentially a needle-free vaccine.
In the Parliament, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said that the government does not want to rush due to the issue of children and the decision will be taken only on the basis of the opinion of experts.
Omicron symptoms in kids: Children may witness high fever, cough, headache
Cases of the new variant Omicron are rising all over the world. In fact, children in South Africa have the highest number of cases of the variant. Some of these children have shown mild to severe symptoms.
According to data from South Africa and the UK, this variant is now targeting children as well. The symptoms of Omicron can be different in everyone, but in young people, more fatigue, body pain,sore throat, persistent cough and headache are likely to be the symptoms.
Omicron Variant of COVID-19 All You Need To Know:
A virus has an inherent capacity to mutate and form variants, in order to evade the immune responses and treatment methods. Omicron variant of COVID-19 which is also known as B1.1.529. is a highly mutated variant that has gone through some of the major changes in the spike protein (which enters the human tract) and receptor binding domain (the area that attaches itself to the cells of the human body). As discussed above, this new variant has 50 mutations, including 30 mutations in spike protein (as compared to 15 mutations in the Delta variant) and 10 mutations in the RBD region (as compared to 2 mutations in the Delta variant). The new mutations makes this variant highly transmissible and contagious.
How To Stay Safe?
The best way to stay safe from getting infected by the Omicron COVID-19 virus is to follow the pandemic protocols, such as wearing face masks properly, keeping the hands clean and maintaining social distancing.
WHO office for Europe said that children in the 5 to 14 age group now account for the highest rates of Covid-19 cases in South Africa. It is noted the new omicron variant has so far accounted for 432 confirmed cases in 21 countries in the region.
Ms Kalinga