Parents warned against exposing kids to COVID-19

COVID-19|PARENTS|CHILDREN 

Whereas the population has been encouraged to practise preventive measures to guard against COVID-19, some parents continue to expose children to the virus by sending them to markets, shops and other crowded places.

Sending children on such errands, according to Martin Kiiza, the executive director of the Uganda Children Authority, only exposes them to a range of infections, including COVID-19.

"Parents must stop sending children to go out to fend for their family. When children go out, they risk getting infections," Kiiza said, adding that parents should also postpone visits to relatives and friends during this period.

He said cases of child labour had increased during the lockdown because some parents had lost their jobs, thus resorting to sending their children to fend for their families.

Instead, Kiiza advised parents to engage their children in doing homework, which is a safer option than sending them out to the streets.

He argued that most children are still ignorant about the health ministry's preventive measures of curbing COVID-19, a situation that exposes them to the virus from people they meet along the way and in the markets.

Uganda has registered 4,291 cases of COVID-19. This was after the health ministry announced 190 new confirmed cases from samples that were tested on Thursday.

The new cases include 95 contacts and alerts from Kampala, 40 from Kitgum, 13 in Zombo, 12 in Moroto, seven in Lira, four in Mbarara and other districts. Thursday's results also revealed that two people from Kampala died from the disease. This brings the total number of deaths to 48 while 1,998 have since recovered.

Whereas COVID-19 seems to be much milder in babies and children, experts warn that it is important for parents and caregivers to understand that children can be infected with the deadly disease and transmit it to others.

"In rare cases, children can become very sick with COVID-19 and deaths have occurred. It is important to use precautions and prevent infection in children, as well as adults," Aaron Milstone, a paediatrician and an infectious diseases expert at the Johns Hopkins Children's Centre, said.

Atek Kagirita, the deputy COVID-19 incident commander at the health ministry, said there are currently 33 children who tested positive and are being treated in various COVID-19 treatment centres.

He, however, explained that children recover pretty fast because they have the ability to shade off the virus easily.