How much coronavirus can parents put their children through?

Ms Messerli-Bürgy, masks have been compulsory for adults in schools in the canton of Zurich since the end of the autumn holidays. What happens to a child when suddenly only «masked» adults are walking around?

Most children have become well accustomed to wearing masks in various areas as they have been required to do so for several months now. Children learn quickly and if you explain to them why this is now necessary, it quickly becomes normal for a child - just as it was for many children when washing their hands. Of course, children - and we adults too - are less able to recognise the facial expressions of other people. But a mask hardly poses a threat to our children today.

Nevertheless, how do you explain such a measure to children?

Just as we explained to them in the spring why we now wash our hands more often. Explanations must be age-appropriate. Young children are not yet able to empathise with others. Explanations are therefore rather difficult. For children of kindergarten age and above, it is easy to explain that we absorb the virus via the respiratory tract, that it can spread particularly well through the air when we cough or sneeze and that masks protect us and others from getting sick.

The dreaded «second wave» now seems to be here. And if you believe the (social) media, we seem to be oscillating between scaremongering and ignorance. In your opinion, what is the right way for parents to deal with this threat?

Children often overhear when adults are talking and therefore pick up different pieces of information. As parents, we can help our children to categorise this overheard information correctly. It certainly helps to talk about the facts in an age-appropriate way, but without panicking and instead pointing out what each individual family member can do to implement the existing protection concepts in everyday life. For example, parents download the Covid app on their mobile phones, everyone washes their hands regularly and keeps their distance in public, etc. The aim is to offer the child support in dealing with the fear of coronavirus, but also with the fear of possible restrictions.

When and how should we discuss this topic as a family?

Children usually find it difficult to explain the context of the comments they hear around them. It is therefore worth taking up the topic at home and asking what the children have heard and understood in order to enable them to categorise and understand the various pieces of information. If they are unable to do this, there is a risk that they will be frightened and unsettled. It is advisable to bring up the topic of Covid19 from time to time and then discuss with the child specifically what you can do as a family or how you can act to reduce the risk of infection, for example.

What is the best way to react if the virus actually comes «close», for example if a relative or friend tests positive?

It is easier for children to know what is going on than to be in the dark. It therefore makes sense to give the child the information they need to categorise this according to their age. A conversation to clarify terms can help: What does "tested positive" mean ? This can help to allay the child's fears that something very dangerous has happened in their neighbourhood. Children need security, so the child should know that someone with a positive test may feel ill, but may not feel anything about the infection. But that, due to the risk of infection, you can now only meet by phone or video call for the time being, and that contact options are restricted for a certain period of time.

How should parents react and communicate with their child when a child shows symptoms? And how if it tests positive?

Here too, it is important that the child is informed that the test was positive and that it is explained to them that this increases the risk of infection for others. Even if they do not feel ill, they must stay at home for a few days. There is certainly no point in scaremongering, but it is important to discuss with the child that Covid19 can manifest itself in very different ways. The child needs to know that their parents are there for them, will support them, will monitor the progression of the illness together with them and that the paediatrician can be called in if necessary to alleviate any symptoms.

How should teachers communicate if a child in a class has tested positive in order to avoid panic?

Children react with fear if they do not know whether this situation is dangerous for them. It is therefore worthwhile for teachers not only to inform their class about a positive test, but also to be able to explain what this means for them. In concrete terms, this means that the children know that their parents have been informed and that they must stay at home if they have symptoms.

It has apparently happened that an affected child became an outsider after his return because nobody dared to go near him.

It is an advantage if teachers explain from the outset that everyone can become infected and that this can happen to anyone.

What if a child develops real fear? When would you recommend psychological help?

When children and adolescents develop such fears, it is typical that they accompany them almost constantly in everyday life, restrict them in their everyday tasks or prevent them from being able to fulfil them. The children feel stressed and tense, they avoid situations or tasks that trigger or increase their anxiety, restrict their range of movement, have difficulty switching off, have a poor appetite or perhaps even sleep poorly. If parents realise that this is the case with their child, it makes sense to seek psychological help.

And if, on the contrary, a child or young person adopts the «it's just the flu» attitude? Should we intervene and explain the seriousness of the situation?

Children are allowed to have their own opinion. In most cases, the "it's just the flu" attitude is probably not self-made, but is more often adopted as an opinion by others, usually adults. Current figures show that the symptoms of Covid19 worsen significantly more often than those of the flu. But catching the flu is not a pleasant situation either, and can be just as preventable if the protection concepts are applied. It makes perfect sense to make it clear to children that we are in a special situation in which everyone is helping to protect people at increased risk, while at the same time everything must be done to ensure that children and young people can continue to attend classes or take part in leisure activities, for example.

What you need to know if your child shows symptoms!

If the child has had close contact with another person with symptoms, the procedure depends on the test result of this contact person. If they test positive, the child must stay at home and it should be clarified with the paediatrician whether a test is necessary. If the contact person's test result is negative, the child may return to school once they have had no fever for 24 hours or their cough has improved significantly.

If the child shows symptoms of a possible infection and has not had close contact with a person with symptoms, the procedure depends on the child's symptoms. If there are only mild cold symptoms and the child otherwise feels well, they can continue to go to school. If they have a fever but are in a good general condition, they must stay at home until the fever has been gone for at least 24 hours. If the fever persists for three days or longer, the paediatrician should be contacted, as should any other symptoms. If the child has a severe cough but is in good general health, they should still stay at home and only return to school when the cough has improved significantly within three days. If there is no improvement or other symptoms occur, the paediatrician should be contacted. If the child has a fever or a severe cough and is in poor general health, the paediatrician should be contacted in any case.

These are the guidelines of the Federal Office of Public Health. There may be other protection concepts of the school districts that must be taken into account. Parents should therefore also observe the guidelines of the cantons and school districts.

Book tip:

Read more about corona:

• «Corona vaccination for children: in one year at the earliest»
  What are the latest findings on the role of children in the current coronavirus crisis? And: Can a school require a corona test? Prof Dr Christoph Aebi provides important answers.

• «Combining face-to-face and digital teaching would be the ideal form of learning»
  Digital expert Philippe Wampfler has experienced with his own students what it means when there is only distance learning. The secondary school teacher explains what lessons he has learned from the coronavirus crisis, what impact the lockdown has had on the digitalisation of schools - and what changes children, parents and teachers can expect when everyone goes back to school regularly.
• «Mrs Rösler, what is the coronavirus crisis doing to equal opportunities at school?»
  The coronavirus crisis and distance learning are putting equal opportunities in the classroom to the test. Dagmar Rösler, President of the Swiss Federation of Teachers (LCH), explains in an interview what this means for children, parents and schools, and draws an initial conclusion about remote schooling.