Experts Offer Advice On Speaking To Children About Coronavirus

AUSTIN, TX — With coronavirus (COVID-19) declared a global pandemic early last week, and a barrage of new information given on a nearly hour-by-hour basis, it's easy and natural to become overwhelmed. The disruption to every day routines including school closings, events cancellations, and employees being asked to stay home, are all building blocks to increased anxiety. Experts, however, encourage people to maintain perspective.

“While our daily lives are going to be interrupted for weeks or months, this isn't our first pandemic,” says Yale Medicine infectious disease specialist Joseph Vinetz, MD, “We have dealt with worse. Just because this has been labeled a pandemic does not mean anything about lethality. Many people may be infected, but the vast majority of people will be fine.”

As adults, dealing with anxiety may be something we're used to. High anxiety, however, may have us scrambling to come up with strategies to help us cope and manage. In the midst of this, it's important to note how our behavior impacts children around us. As the public conversation about coronavirus increases, so does the need to talk to kids about COVID-19.

Kids are privy to what goes on around them, even when we think they're not. Medical and mental health experts suggest focusing on well-being and calming fears by having honest and open conversations. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers helpful tips for parents, school staff, and others working with children on how to talk to kids about coronavirus. This guidance will help adults navigate the message about ways to avoid getting and spreading the disease, and educate families to better help calm fears and anxieties.

Guidelines For Talking To Children About Coronavirus:

Remain calm and reassuring.

• Remember that children will react to both what you say and how you say it. They will pick up cues from the conversations you have with them and with others.

Make yourself available to listen and to talk.

• Make time to talk. Be sure children know they can come to you when they have questions.

Avoid language that might blame others and lead to stigma.

• Remember that viruses can make anyone sick, regardless of a person’s race or ethnicity. Avoid making assumptions about who might have COVID-19.

Pay attention to what children see or hear on television, radio, or online.

• Consider reducing the amount of screen time focused on COVID-19. Too much information on one topic can lead to anxiety.

Provide information that is honest and accurate.

• Give children information that is truthful and appropriate for the age and developmental level of the child.
• Talk to children about how some stories on COVID-19 on the Internet and social media may be based on rumors and inaccurate information

Teach children everyday actions to reduce the spread of germs.

• Remind children to stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing or sick.
• Remind them to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, then throw the tissue into the trash.
• Discuss any new actions that may be taken at school to help protect children and school staff. (e.g., increased handwashing, cancellation of events or activities)
• Get children into a handwashing habit.
  • Teach them to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
  • If soap and water are not available, teach them to use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol. Supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol, especially in schools and childcare facilities

Facts About COVID-19 for Discussions with Children:

Try to keep information simple and remind them that health and school officials are working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy.

What is COVID-19?

• COVID-19 is the short name for “coronavirus disease 2019.” It is a new virus. Doctors and scientists are still learning about it.
• Recently, this virus has made a lot of people sick. Scientists and doctors think that most people will be ok, especially kids, but some people might get pretty sick.
• Doctors and health experts are working hard to help people stay healthy.

What can I do so that I don’t get COVID-19?

• You can practice healthy habits at home, school, and play to help protect against the spread of COVID-19:
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you sneeze or cough into a tissue, throw it in the trash right away.
  • Keep your hands out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. This will help keep germs out of your body.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Follow these five steps—wet, lather (make bubbles), scrub (rub together), rinse and dry. You can sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
  • If you don’t have soap and water, have an adult help you use a special hand cleaner.
  • Keep things clean. Older children can help adults at home and school clean the things we touch the most, like desks, doorknobs, light switches, and remote controls. (Note for adults: you can find more information about cleaning and disinfecting on CDC’s website.)
  • If you feel sick, stay home. Just like you don’t want to get other people’s germs in your body, other people don’t want to get your germs either.

What happens if you get sick with COVID-19?

• COVID-19 can look different in different people. For many people, being sick with COVID-19 would be a little bit like having the flu. People can get a fever, cough, or have a hard time taking deep breaths. Most people who have gotten COVID-19 have not gotten very sick. Only a small group of people who get it have had more serious problems. From what doctors have seen so far, most children don’t seem to get very sick. While a lot of adults get sick, most adults get better.
• If you do get sick, it doesn’t mean you have COVID-19. People can get sick from all kinds of germs. What’s important to remember is that if you do get sick, the adults at home and school will help get you any help that you need.
• If you suspect your child may have COVID-19, call the healthcare facility to let them know before you bring your child in to see them.

Resources:

• CDC’s COVID-19 website
• Talking to Children about COVID-19, developed by the National Association of School Nurses and the National Association of School Psychologists. Also available in Spanish.
• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies