The World Health Organization (WHO) has been giving advice to the public about how to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The common tips are to wash your hands frequently, practice good respiratory hygiene, and to avoid close contact with others if you are feeling unwell. These measures have been put into place to protect others from getting sick. I have noticed this phrase being used often by our world leaders. They have been stressing the importance of keeping others safe, and that this must be a collective effort if it is to be successful.
As an Early Childhood Educator the idea of keeping others safe from illness is not foreign to me. I work with a sector of the population that are some of the most vulnerable to illness. It is not uncommon for children to have "daycare nose" while simultaneously wondering if every surface in sight truly does taste like snozberries (I hope you catch the reference.) It is my job to limit the spread of illness by following guidelines very similar to the ones given by WHO.
I couldn't help but find many parallels between child care protocols for sick children, and the advice being given to protect others from COVID-19. We know that viruses are easily spread to others, and in order to prevent the spread the most effective method is to stay home when you are feeling unwell. So I wondered: Will this virus create an emphasis on the importance of keeping children home when they are sick?
If nothing else we have a new heightened awareness of how interconnected we truly are. This is a beautiful realization, but also a scary one! Thinking of this on a micro-scale, let's say a daycare, one sick child can infect many others very easily. Their direct connections are their peers and educators, but we know this is not where the connections stop. How about the siblings of other children? Their parents? The educators' children?
If a child is brought into the daycare when they are sick it puts the entire ecosystem of the daycare in jeopardy. I will give an example: A child is brought into the daycare not looking very well. They have a runny nose, clammy face, and glazed over eyes. The educator observes this during their health check and asks the parent how their child has been feeling. The parents says, "They had a fever last night, but I gave them pain medication this morning so they should be able to make it through the day." The parent leaves. Throughout the morning the educator sees the child is lethargic, but not fevering. Nap time approaches and the child is visibly much worse than before. The educator checks their temperature, and as they suspected the medication has worn off and they have spiked a high fever. Unable to administer medication as per the daycare protocols, the parent is called and the child is picked up to go home. The next day the child stays home sick, but now other children are beginning to also peak fevers. In the next week some staff begin to get sick, as well as infants in the baby room who are taking much longer to recover because their immune systems are not as strong as the older children. What seemed like an isolated case is now spread throughout the entire centre effecting staff, other children, and in turn their parents ability to go to work as well if they too have to stay home to care for their child.
So what could the parent have done to reduce the spread of illness? Keep the child home the first day they don't feel well. This could greatly minimize the spread of illness within the centre, as well as the connections outside of it. The advice being given to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is almost identical. If you do not feel well, stay home and rest.
Young children in care do not have the self-awareness yet to practice good respiratory hygiene like coughing/sneezing into an elbow, wiping their own nose, and washing their hands often. We also know young children are sensory learners so putting objects into their mouth is perfectly normal and necessary for development which quickly spreads germs from one mouth to the other. While we as educators sanitize surfaces and toys often along with helping children keep good personal hygiene, we can not completely stop the spread of germs. Again, the best way to do this is by keeping a child who is not feeling well at home.
While I am writing I do understand there are situations in which a sick child simply can not stay home. Parents have jobs they need to do among other responsibilities and circumstances. Also, it is important to take into account what the illness is, the severity, and how contagious it is. However, my message is not simply keep sick children home. What I am trying to encourage is to be self reflective when deciding if you should send your child to care. Who will this effect? How will it effect them?
We are so interconnected with one another that the choices we make can not simply create an isolated result. What we do has a ripple effect. Are the choices you are making limiting the safety of others? Could you make another choice that creates a safer environment for everyone? I mentioned at the beginning of this post that keeping others safe is a collective effort. This idea does not start and end with the pandemic, we must reflect on how we are effecting others indefinitely.
I hope this helps you in your interactions with children in your care. If you enjoyed reading this subscribe to my mailing list to be notified when I share new posts. Thanks for reading!