The Role of the Family in

Preventing COVID-19
in Children, and
Their Treatment
Wannarat Lawang, PhD
Faculty of Nursing, Burapha University
Thailand
COVID-19 in
Thailand
Preventing COVID-19
in Children

Physical health prevention

Mental health prevention
 Physical health prevention for
children in COVID-19 pandemic
 The spread of coronavirus in children

• The spread of the coronavirus is like the flu, where germs are
contained in mucus or droplets such as saliva, sputum, etc.
• The virus can be spread when coughing, sneezing, or talking within
close range.
• The virus can infect a child's body in 3 ways:
1. Eyes: Children may touch any infected object and rub their eyes.
2. Nose: Most children's behaviors are like picking/grabbing/crushing their
noses.
3. Mouth: Young children like to put their hands in their mouths or suck on
toys placed in the house.
 DMHTT

• Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19

Situation Administration (CCSA) has
advised the public to take DMHTT
precautions to prevent the spread of
COVID-19:
• D – Distancing,
• M – Mask wearing,
• H – Handwashing,
• T – Temperature check,
• T – Thai Chana contact tracing application.
The Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) added…
E – Exercise,
N – News
E– Emergency to cover all
contingencies
Take care of children away from COVID-19

• The most important thing is the hygiene of the whole

family, which starts with the adults in the house first.
• Refrain from going out to community places to reduce the
risk of contracting the disease.
• Wear a mask every time
• Maintain a distance of 1-2 meters from people.
• Refrain from sharing containers at home.
• Q : Is it necessary to bring your child to receive
basic vaccinations during the time that I still
have to be careful about the COVID-19 virus?
• A : It is necessary.
When children have to get vaccinated in COVID
pandemic, parents should…
• Schedule vaccinations in advance and travel close to the scheduled time
• After receiving the vaccine, you should go home immediately (to reduce
the length of time your child is in the hospital).
• Prepare a blanket to prevent the mist in the air. For older children, they
must wear a mask at all times.
• Do not bring your child near people who are coughing or sneezing.
• Keep a distance of at least 2 meters between other users.
• Prepare the alcohol gel to clean surfaces that the child may have to touch
inside the hospital
• Wash your hands often
• When returning home, parents and children should take a shower and
clean their bodies.
 Mental health prevention for
children in COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic will definitely affect

children mental health.
Will children be stressed about this pandemic situation?

Some children are stressed because

• …their parents are stressed.
• …their parents don't have time for them.
• …they can't play, can't meet friends, or lack space for leisure
activities such as playgrounds, sports fields.
• …they fear separation from their parents (have to be isolated or
treated, or be sent to live with relatives in other unfamiliar places).
• Many other reasons
•How stressful or less stressful and able
to adapt depends on each person's
mental immunity.
Advice for parents to help children

to face the pandemic with

a strong mental immune system
5 key words for mental health care for children
C = Calm & Consistency

O = Observe

V = Ventilate

I = Information

D = Do and Don'
(Siriratraka, 2020; UNICEF., 2021)
C: Calm & Consistency
(calm, emotional control and consistency)

• Parents are ROLE MODELS for dealing with uncertain situations for
children as well as dealing with their own anxiety and emotions.
• If parents have difficulty managing their own problems, they will
find it more stressful to help the child.

Children to be calmer, feel safer, and more mentally stable.

Parents should do the following:
• ...Should not ignore their own feelings when they realize that
they are stressed/anxious/fearful, should find ways to relax,
express feelings, and reduce social media
• ....Ensure the child that parents can always be a refuge,
especially in the event that some family members are
separated for treatment
• ...Show their love by saying love and care, give extra time to
spend more time with the kids, play or read a book together
 O: Observe
• Always observe children's emotional responses to situations,
understand, and view children's expressions as normal responses in
critical situations. The risk of mental health problems is observed in

Under 5 years of age Children aged 6-12 years

• Fearful, anxious, avoiding certain situations.
• Easy to cry.
• Refuses to sleep
• More attached to mothers or caregivers or
teachers than usual.
• More aggressive than usual.
• Change behaviors (sucking fingers, wetting
the bed, addicted to adult)
• Fearful, anxious, avoiding certain situations.
• Sad, likes to be alone, not cheerful.
• Nightmares, sleepwalking, screaming
• Aggressive, rampant
• Poor academic performance.
• Change behaviors (sucking fingers, wetting
the bed, addicted to adult)
• Children should not be left alone, but they should
have an appropriate distance according to the child's
age, especially older children.
• When children are separated from their parents.
Parents should maintain regular communication
between parents and children, either online or over
the phone, to keep them informed of their child's
well-being, emotions, and feelings.
• Being closer together will give parents the best
observation of the child. Children are often unable to
speak directly, but their behavior changes.
• When a child is found to be at risk of mental health
problems, they should be encouraged to engage in
relax activities and encouragement.
• If it doesn't improve or is at greater risk, consult a
child mental health professional.
V: Ventilate
(express feelings and express needs)
• Encourage children to express their emotions/ stress/ anxiety/
confusion/ fear about the situation, and their needs, and parents
should listen carefully.
• Parents can honestly and softly reflect on the child's emotions as it
happens, “Now you feel afraid to….” or “Mom understands that you
don't like that..... .”

When children recognize and understand their emotions,

it helps them choose how to manage them more appropriately,
increasing their self-control.
• Let children know that parent understand and accept what
they think or feel, support, and encourage.
• Strengthen their children's understanding of emotions by
increasing their ability to recognize and recognize the
emotions that occur at that moment, such as anger, sadness
or anxiety.

When children recognize and understand their emotions,

it helps them choose how to manage them more
appropriately, increasing their self-control.
• Provide opportunities for children to express themselves in
various ways that will make them feel more comfortable, such
as donating things, making merit, praying, writing cards,
sending messages of encouragement, etc.
• Add creative activities in your spare time, such as art activities,
storytelling, emotional diagrams, and role-playing, etc.
• Enhancing problem-solving and decision-making skills by
inviting the child to imagine some of the events that might
have happened and to help think about how to deal with
them.
• Show appreciation to ensure that the child is able to make it
through.
I: Information
• Provide information and facts that are happening in child-friendly and
age-appropriate language so that the child knows what is going on,
what might happen next, how the parent is preparing, and how the
child needs to prepare.
• Tell the child the truth, in a calm manner, and not show the child any
anxiety or panic to make them feel safe and understand the meaning
of the situation
• Caution is readily accessible information on the Internet that parents
should scrutinize before passing on to children appropriately at any
age to reduce anxiety about the situation.
D: Do and Don' t
• Not neglect to mention the "do" and “don’t" requirements in
an epidemic situation with an emphasis on concern.
• Do =
• doing normal daily activities (more on your own)
• wearing a mask at all times
• washing hands frequently
• keeping distance between people
• Don't
• staying in front of your TV/computer/tablet/cell phone all the time
• going out to play alone.
How can it be treated?
• Treatment for COVID-19 is symptomatic treatment, such as taking
antipyretics, wiping to reduce fever, being careful to avoid high fevers
and seizures, or taking phlegm-dissolving cough medicine.
• In severe cases, oxygen is used to provide support and nebulization
when needed.
• If a child younger than 5 years old, a child with underlying medical
conditions, or a person with pneumonia and is at risk for one of the
severe cases, the doctor may consider a specific treatment according
to guidelines of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society.
Nowadays, more children and families are
infected by COVID-19 patients.

Hospital

Special ward for COVID-19 (Hospitel)

Home isolation (Home Isolation)

In the case of children and parents
infected
• Children and their guardians who receive
treatment are generally arranged to co-exist in
order for the child to be in proper parental care.
In case the child is infected but the
parents are not infected
• Parents of children under the age of 60 and without
underlying medical conditions that are a risk factor for
severe COVID-19 infection can take care of the child in a
medical facility.
• Parents must
• …wear a mask at all times
• …wash their hands properly
• …avoid touching their face, eyes, mouth, or nose with their hands
• …do not share items with infected children
• …periodically clean all touching surfaces in the room with alcohol 70%
concentration or cleaning solution
In case the child is not infected but the
parents are infected
• Uninfected relatives are considered to be caregivers, but caregivers should
not be at risk of severe disease if infected with COVID-19 (because children
are considered high-risk exposures). Caregivers are required to self-isolate
for an additional 14 days from the last day of contact with the child.
• In the event that the child is unable to find a caregiver and children need to
be co-existed with parents who are infected, parents must wear masks at all
times, wash hands properly, avoid touching face, eyes, mouth with hands,
nose, not sharing things.
• If there are no relatives or caregivers, consider sending the child to a nursing
home., childhood development center in the community, home under the
Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
• UNICEF. (2021). Coronavirus (COVID-19) parenting tips. [Online].
Available URL: www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19-parenting-tips.
• Siriratraka, T. (2021). Mental health care for children in COVID-19
pandemic. [Online]. Available URL:
https://www.happyhomeclinic.com/disaster07-covid-19.html