How to protect your children from URTI
The rains are here again, and with the rains usually come bouts of the flu and common cold. Children are particularly prone to upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). The current COVID19 pandemic also affects the respiratory system majorly and often presents with respiratory symptoms like cough, fever, and sore throat. Hence, it is important to safeguard your children from URTIs.
Thankfully, there are simple measures you can take to prevent URTIs:
- Teach them to wash their hands often:
Regular handwashing (for at least 20 seconds) has been found to be very effective in protecting yourself from URTIs. Teach your children to wash their hands while singing the chorus to Oleku by Ice Prince and Brymo or just sing the “Happy birthday” song twice.
- Wipe Everything Down
Ensure that surfaces are cleaned regularly around your home. It is important to clean ‘hot spots’ as door handles, fridge handles, taps at sinks, and phones frequently as these are commonly touched surfaces that may transmit infections.
- Maintain a balanced diet
Eating properly goes a long way in maintaining your children’s immunity. This helps them combat infections like the common cold and protect them from it as well. A balanced diet contains all the classes of food in the right proportion. Fruits and vegetables are not left out of this.
- Up to date Vaccination
Ensure that your children have all their immunizations as recommended by the National Programme on Immunisation. Some of the vaccines offer protection against URTIs. Routine vaccinations and additional ones for older children are covered under our retail and corporate plans.
You should practice these judiciously, including the recommended social distancing measures as recommended by the NCDC. If you do and you or your children still come down with flu-like symptoms such as Cough, Sneezing, Fever, Sore throat, headache, chest pain, it is very important that you present at a hospital as we are currently in the Community Transmission Phase of the Covid-19 infection.
Do not treat common colds at home or with over the counter medications at this time.
Take care and stay safe!
By Dr.Okonkwor Oyor C.
