Please note: this information is correct on 5th February 2021. Any changes to this information will be published by the Messages for Mothers team to this website as soon as it becomes available to us. A COVID-19 “second wave” has been experienced in South Africa since November 2020, with a big increase in numbers of […]
PIP English
If children have some other long-term health problem/s, they can get more sick with COVID-19. These are children with medical conditions who need to see doctors or attend clinics regularly. Some examples are: children who have diabetes, heart disease, asthma, TB, cancer, kidney disease, cerebral palsy and HIV. If your child has one of these […]
They often have no symptoms or have much milder symptoms than adults The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in children and adults. The symptoms are like a cold or flu: the child may have fever, runny nose and be coughing. Sometimes they have vomiting and diarrhoea. Share this message on social media:
Can babies and children get COVID-19? Yes, children can get COVID-19, BUT they are less likely to get it than adults. This is good news! Can my baby or child pass COVID-19 on to me? It is possible, but it is much less likely than infection spreading from an adult to a child. This is […]
You may be worried about your child if they seem more sick than just a usual cold or flu. Maybe they are not eating, are breathing fast, have no energy, do not want to play, are very hot, have ongoing diarrhoea. Maybe they have a rash, marks on the hands and feet or a red […]
If your child is unwell and needs to stay in the hospital, the doctor will take a swab from your child’s nose and/or mouth to test for the virus that causes COVID-19. This is uncomfortable but not usually painful. The results are usually available after 2-3 days. The nurses and doctors caring for your child […]
There is more use of bleach solutions and hand sanitisers at this time – make sure they are out of reach of all children. Do not put these solutions in containers where they may be mistaken for soft drinks or water Wash all children’s eating utensils and toys that they may put into their mouths […]
People who have COVID-19 should isolate from others so the virus does not spread to others. Your health worker will tell you how many days you should isolate for. Discuss with them if it is possible to isolate at home or in a health facility. Isolation means staying away from other people and not going […]
How do I tell my child that she/he has COVID-19? These are two very scary scenarios that parents may be faced with as we move into the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic. Whilst it is much less likely for a child to become infected with COVID-19, than an adult, it can be helpful to be […]
Categories
Screen Time Safety for Children
During COVID-19 your child is probably spending more time watching TV or playing games on the phone or other devices. While screen time for children under 2 years old is not recommended by experts, it’s not easy to keep young children busy all day, especially when parents are having tojuggle work with childcare, or are […]