Coronavirus: 10 questions - 10 answers for parents

The closure of schools poses new challenges for parents with school-age children. What is still allowed and what is no longer? How do I behave as a mum or dad and how do I keep my child away from the risk group? 10 questions - 10 answers:

• Wie gelingt es mir, meinen Kindern im Homeoffice gerecht zu werden und nicht ständig vor ihnen am Handy zu sein oder vor dem Computer zu sitzen?
  Bei Eltern, die beide die Möglichkeit zu Homeoffice haben, lohnt sich eine Aufteilung der Kinderbetreuung. Wem diese Möglichkeit nicht zur Verfügung steht, sollte wenn möglich in einem separaten Zimmer arbeiten und Spiel- sowie Bewegungspausen mit den Kindern einplanen. Aktuelle Tipps dazu gibt es unter zdf.de.
   
• Darf mein Kind noch auf den Spielplatz?
  Bis jetzt dürfen Kinder noch auf den Spielplatz, solange sie sich mit ihren bisherigen Freunden treffen. Kritisch seien neue Gruppenkonstellationen. Empfohlen wird jedoch in möglichst kleinen Gruppen, und besser im Garten als auf dem Spielplatz zu spielen, wie deutschlandfunkkultur.de schreibt.
   
• Muss ich wirklich Hamsterkäufe tätigen für meine vierköpfige Familie?
  Die Ausbreitung des Coronavirus löst bei vielen Angst vor Versorgungsengpässen aus. Gehortet wird vor allem Nudeln und Toilettenpapier. Ist das nötig und sinnvoll? Ein Ernährungswissenschaftler erklärt im Video auf focus.de, was und wie viel man zuhause haben sollte, um für den Ernstfall vorbereitet zu sein.

Read more about corona:

• Do I have to keep my child away from their grandparents, even if they are healthy?
  It is recommended to keep children away from their grandparents, even if the children are healthy. The reason is that grandparents tend to belong to the risk group (depending on age). Covid-19 is most likely to have serious consequences for them, especially if they have pre-existing conditions, according to virologist Christian Drosten from Berlin's Charité hospital in a podcast interview with ndr.de.
• How can I protect my children from coronavirus panic?
  Children have sensitive antennae and can be frightened by coronavirus hysteria. «The masked people on buses, trains or on television are funny and can irritate children,» said Beate Leinberger, Chairwoman of the Professional Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists (BKJ), to the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper.
• What do I need to bear in mind if my child has a chronic illness?
  The coronavirus may pose a higher risk for young patients with a weakened immune system. In addition to the FOPH's recommended rules of conduct, the Children's Hospital Zurich has also drawn up information sheets on precautionary measures for chronically ill children:
  • Leaflet for chron icallyill children with e.g. heart disease or chronic kidney disease
  • Leaflet for children with oncological diseases
  • Fact sheet for children with congenital immunodeficiencies
• What should I do if I have symptoms as a mum or dad?
  It is important to remain calm and not transfer your own insecurity to your child. According to the FOPH, parents who both need to isolate should keep their child/children away from the household and stay with relatives, for example.

• What should we do if our child needs to be isolated?
  If the child shows symptoms and needs to be isolated, the FOPH recommends that ideally someone close to the child should be designated to look after them. In practice, especially in families with several children, it may be advisable for the whole family to remain in quarantine. In any case, consult your doctor: depending on the age of the child, there are individual recommendations on the necessary measures. Take away your child's fears and use stories or child-friendly medical books to explain how the body defends itself against viruses.
• What do self-isolation and self-quarantine actually mean?
  According to the FOPH, these two terms are two different things.
  • People who have a fever or cough should self-isolate. In concrete terms, this means that they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible until they feel healthy again. They should also stay away from the public for a further 24 hours.
  • Self-quarantine applies to people who live in the same household as an infected person or who have been intimate with them. In this case, stay at home for 5 days from the date of diagnosis of the confirmed case. Avoid any contact with other people.
• Am I immune to the virus after coronavirus?
  Once you have had the virus infection, you are immune to the pathogen, at least for a certain period of time. This is currently assumed by doctors, writes focus.de. However, it is not yet clear whether this immunity lasts a lifetime or only for a certain period of time - a few years, for example.

• Television instead of school - how broadcasters are changing their programmes
  News, series, educational videos: Many TV channels and online platforms have massively expanded their programmes during the coronavirus crisis. An overview.

• Learning in a state of emergency
  What does everyday school life look like without school? How can and should parents support their children at school? Ten answers to the ten most pressing questions.

• Learning at home with children
  Our columnist and learning expert Fabian Grolimund is also at home with his children and has to switch to homeschooling. Read this article to find out how he does it.