Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): What parents should know
How to protect yourself and your children.
COVID-19 – otherwise known as novel coronavirus – has been dominating the headlines recently. While it is spreading quickly across parts of Asia and beyond, there are simple precautions you can take to reduce the risk of infection and transmission.
What is a ‘novel’ coronavirus?
A novel coronavirus (CoV) is a new strain of coronavirus.
The disease caused by the novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – ‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for virus, and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV.’
The COVID-19 virus is a new virus linked to the same family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and some types of common cold.
How dangerous is it?
Like other respiratory illnesses, it can cause mild symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever. It can be more severe for some persons and can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties and organ failure. More rarely, the disease can be fatal. Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.
Should I wear a medical mask?
While wearing a medical mask can help in limiting the spread of some diseases including the COVID-19, it alone will not stop infection. Washing hands and avoiding contact with potentially infected individuals is the best way to reduce the risk of infection.
Are children at risk?
It is possible for people of any age to be infected with the virus, but it is important to note that so far there have been no reported fatalities of children linked to the COVID-19 virus. The virus is fatal in rare cases, mainly with older people with pre-existing medical conditions.
However, there are significant secondary impacts on children, particularly for children in poor urban areas. These impacts also include school closures, recently witnessed in Mongolia.