COVID 19 - Keeping Our Family & Nanny Community Safe
Keeping you safe and healthy is our top priority
Whether you are a nanny or a family, this is a scary time for everyone right now and so we thought it was important to reach out to you with the latest information on COVID 19 preparedness and prevention.
We are all feeling more stress than usual, but this is a good opportunity for us to be leaders and let our true kind and caring spirit shine. To help support you during this time, we put together some things that you can do to keep things calm and take off some of the stress.
It is important we are all diligent in creating and administering safe practices to keep us and those we are in contact with healthy.
Our social responsibility is extremely important here. Although you may not think it’s necessary to take proactive precautions, it is your social responsibility to practice caution for others who may be in more danger if infected because of their age or other risk factors.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT COVOID 19
Wash little hands and yours often! You can even create a washing hands sign with your little ones and hang it in the bathroom or kitchen!
Halt all un-needed travel and exposure to public places
Be transparent about recent travel within and outside of the United States.
Keep your the little ones indoors and out of supermarkets and playgroups.
Communicate if you have come into contact with someone who is sick
Do not go to work if you are sick or around another sick individual
HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY
Step 1: Wet hands with safe running water
Step 2: Apply enough soap to cover wet hands
Step 3: Scrub all surfaces of the hands – including backs of hands, between fingers and under nails – for at least 20 seconds
Step 4: Rinse thoroughly with running water
Step 5: Dry hands with a clean, dry cloth, single-use towel or hand drier as available
Wash your hands often, especially before and after eating; after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom/ toilets/latrines and whenever your hands are visibly dirty. If soap 8 and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water, if hands are visibly dirty.
CHECKLIST FOR PARENTS & CAREGIVERS
1. Monitor your child’s health and keep them home from school if they are ill
2. Teach and model good hygiene practices for your children
Wash your hands with soap and safe water frequently. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water, if hands are visibly dirty
Ensure that safe drinking water is available and toilets or latrines are clean and available at home
Ensure waste is safely collected, stored and disposed of o Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, nose
3. Encourage your children to ask questions and express their feelings with you and their teachers. Remember that your child may have different reactions to stress; be patient and understanding.
4. Prevent stigma by using facts and reminding children to be considerate of one another
Key Messages and Actions for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Schools March 2020
Relevant Resources from the World Health Organization
IV. PARENTS/CAREGIVERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Key Messages and Actions COVID-19 is a new virus and we are still learning about how it affects children. We know it is possible for people of any age to be infected with the virus, but so far there have been relatively few cases of COVID-19 reported among children. The virus can be fatal in cases, so far mainly among older people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Know the latest facts Understand basic information about coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including its symptoms, complications, how it is transmitted and how to prevent transmission. Stay informed about COVID-19 through reputable sources such as UNICEF and WHO and national health ministry advisories. Be aware of fake information/myths that may circulate by word-of-mouth or online.
Recognize the symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, fever, shortness of breath) in your child Seek medical advice by first calling your health facility/provider and then take your child in, if advised. Remember that symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or fever can be similar to those of the flu, or the common cold, which are a lot more common. If your child is sick, keep them home from school and notify the school of your child’s absence and symptoms. Request reading and assignments so that students can continue learning while at home. Explain to your child what is happening in simple words and reassure them that they are safe.
Help children cope with the stress Children may respond to stress in different ways. Common responses include having difficulties sleeping, bedwetting, having pain in the stomach or head, and being anxious, withdrawn, angry, clingy or afraid to be left alone. Respond to children’s reactions in a supportive way and explain to them that they are normal reactions to an abnormal situation. Listen to their concerns and take time to comfort them and give them affection, reassure them they’re safe and praise them frequently.
If possible, create opportunities for children to play and relax. Keep regular routines and schedules as much as possible, especially before they go to sleep, or help create new ones in a new environment. Provide age-appropriate facts about what has happened, explain what is going on and give them clear examples on what they can do to help protect themselves and others from infection. Share information about what could happen in a reassuring way.
For example, if your child is feeling sick and staying at home or the hospital, you could say, “You have to stay at home/at the hospital because it is safer for you and your friends. I know it is hard (maybe scary or even boring) at times, but we need to follow the rules to keep ourselves and others safe. Things will go back to normal soon.”