Africa-Press – Uganda. Experts advise parents to ensure children practice hand hygiene and eat fruits and vegetables.
As the country grapples with rising cases of Covid-19 infections and deaths, medical experts have warned that more children are getting infected and being hospitalised.
However, the experts said there are feasible actions which parents can take to safeguard their children from falling prey to the pandemic.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported 859 new cases and 38 new deaths, pushing the total infections 74,260 and deaths to 752.
Dr Richard Idro, the President of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), asked parents to teach their children adherence to hygiene practices.
“Covid-19 is now affecting all age groups unlike in the past where it was majorly affecting the elderly. But now, we have young adults and children being affected. Let us teach our children how to practice hand hygiene –washing hands with soap and water after touching surfaces,” Dr Idro said.
He said children younger than six years shouldn’t wear masks because of the risks of suffocating.
“The children should be made to have enough sleep for at least 8 hours so that their body can have enough rest to sustain their immunity. Let us ensure that the children eat a balanced diet and take fresh juices, fruits and vegetables,” he said.
“Make sure the child gets immunised with the usual vaccines such as for tuberculosis and measles,” he added. The vaccines protect children from other diseases that affect body immunity.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being used in the country for Covid-19 vaccination, has not been approved by World Health Organisation and National Drug Authority for vaccinating children.
Dr Hellen Aanyu, a paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, asked parents to restrain their children from roaming in the neighbourhood to minimise risks of Covid-19 infection.
“I appeal to parents to restrain these children, everyone needs to stay in one place unless there is a strong reason to go out. Even the children should play within their homes,” she said.
Dr Idro said for mothers who are breastfeeding and have tested positive, they can continue to breastfeed but continue wearing the facemask.
Dr Sabrina Kitaka, another paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, said Covid-19 symptoms in children appear like common cold and they recover within one or two weeks. Adults can take as many as 28 days to recover according to other doctors treating Covid-19.
“The possible symptoms in children include high-grade fever, chills and riggers, nasal congestion or a runny nose, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, body pain, loss of sense of smell or taste, abdominal pain which may present with diarrhoea,” she said.
“It is true that some children can become critically ill, but these are children with diabetes, asthma, obesity and children with sickle cell disease. Children with heart diseases can also become critically ill,” she added.
