Preparing your child for a safe return during Covid-19

While we are all anticipating returning to school during these unprecedented times there are many questions and concerns.  While it may feel like the recommendations are changing rapidly and things may be overwhelming and confusing.  There are a few things to remember The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages social distancing, face coverings, and appropriate hand hygiene. 

Some may ask “what exactly do these 3 things mean?” 

  1. Social distancing is the practice of ensuring you maintain a 6 foot “safe zone” from others.  While this may be difficult in the academic setting we should educate and reinforce the importance to our children. 
  2. Face coverings are mask that cover the nose and mouth to decrease the spread of droplets.  It is important that we ensure children are wearing face coverings appropriately and avoid touching their face as much as possible.
  3. Hand hygiene is the practice of washing or decontaminating our hands.  This can be done with either soap and water or hand sanitizer’s containing at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol.  Please ensure when purchasing hand sanitizers they meet this requirement.   

While decreasing the spread of the virus is key, some people may still become infected.  It is important to remember the COVID-19 is a virus which manifest in a variety of symptoms.  Some symptoms may include fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough, malaise and/or body aches.  While these are the most common symptoms they are not all the symptoms and some people may be asymptomatic (showing no symptoms).  If you or your child develop any of these symptoms it is important to self isolate and not expose others to the potential virus. This means do not send her child to school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19 by a known positive case.  If you or your child are showing any of the symptoms you should contact your primary care provider or the health department.  

It is important that we as a community protect ourselves and others from the spread of COVID-19.  Expressing the importance of the CDC’s recommendations for prevention and ensuring we are taking appropriate action after known exposure and/or symptoms are vital.  We at Halifax health look forward to providing quality health care to our parents, teachers and students throughout a great 2020-2021 school year, however that may look.

Amber Bryant, APRN
Halifax Health – Primary Care

Our healthcare partners will be answering your questions. To submit a question, please email editor@parentmagazineflorida.com.