Children Are Most Susceptible To Picking Up Swine Flu
August 26, 2009
Although the medical departments are slowly gaining control over the spread of swine flu, school going children still remain highly prone to picking up this disease. As parents, you need to act early so as to cut down the risk of your child contracting the H1N1 virus, the virus that causes swine flu.
Why are children more susceptible?
School going kids are more susceptible to contracting swine flu, because they spend a lot of time in crowded classrooms and in playfields, where they can easily pick up the infection from other infected children. Also children are less bothered about hygiene and wouldn’t care to wash their hands before popping something into their mouth.
The preventive measures
Good hygiene is the first most important thing you need to focus on. You need to get your child in the habit of washing or sanitizing his hands before eating anything that means even before he pops in a candy he must wash his hands. In case soap and water isn’t easily available, sanitizers work equally well in killing the germs and infection that may be sticking to your hands. Also it’s advisable to clean your hands after coughing and sneezing, especially if you do not cough or sneeze into a tissue.
So make it a habit to pack the sanitizer and some tissues into your child’s school bag along with the usual stuff he carries to school.
What if your child does get infected?
If your child is infected with swine flu, the initial symptoms would be high fever, diarrhea, vomiting apart from all the other regular flu symptoms. On seeing such symptoms you must get in touch with your physician immediately, so that the treatment can be started at the earliest.
The affected child should be kept away from all other children and should be made to wear a surgical mask to prevent the infection from spreading to other people in the house. Even you or whoever is taking care of the child should wear a mask to avoid contracting swine flu.
And as your child begins recovering don’t be in a hurry to send him off to school, and wait at least 48 hours after all the symptoms including fever have gone away.
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