As temperature continues to dip in the UAE, parents are all the more needed to become vigilant especially with their children.
Cold season is always associated with the flu and this illness shouldn’t just be set aside as its symptoms are similar to a person with COVID-19.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has come up with some of the things parents should keep in mind especially on monitoring their children and when to best keep them safe at home rather than in school.
In the Parent Guidance Booklet, DHA advises parents to not send their kids to school if they are manifesting symptoms like fever at 37.5 degrees Celsius and above, coughing, body pains, shortness and difficulty breathing, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, headache, and loss of taste and smell.
DHA emphasized that it is best for children to stay at home. Parents are to advise the school on their child’s situation and to seek medical advice immediately.
Kids should be kept at home especially if they have come in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Their close contacts should also be advised to undergo a 14-day home quarantine.
The same process should be observed if the kid shows symptoms before boarding the school bus and on board a car on the way to school.
Should there’ll be a child that would manifest symptoms while on board the bus, the child must be seated in front and the health and safety officer of the school will be notified.
Upon arrival in school, the child will be immediately isolated. Parents will be notified and they will be the one who will take their child for PCR testing.
When the child’s health is improving, parents should keep in mind to ask for a PCR test on their child before they send them again to school.
However, DHA also reminds parents to keep in mind that they can only send their child to school again if their PCR test yields a negative result, their symptoms are also gone, and securing a sick leave certificate upon return.
COVID-19 Clearance Certificates can be obtained from the treating doctor or by calling the Dubai Health Authority’s Helpline 800 342.
Other guidelines
– Parents should also keep in mind other things when looking after their children at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Authorities have been reminding the public to avoid large gatherings. Parents should also regularly remind their kids to avoid crowded areas so as to protect themselves from getting infected.
– As young as they are, parents should also educate their children about risks, signs and symptoms, and even the precautionary measures against COVID-19.
– Children who are six years old should wear masks. So parents should always equip them with a handful of supplies inside their school bags along with a bottle of hand sanitizer.
– If the family has gone on a recent trip abroad, authorities are advising them to update their travel and health history by filling up the form that is available on this website link: https://www.dha.gov.ae/en/Pages/coronaregistration.asp.
– Be informed and be safe.
(ES)
