In Ukraine, the gardens run the risk of becoming the new hotbed of the spread of coronavirus. Children often endure the morbidity COVID-19 asymptomatic but can infect others. A long stay indoors and close contact with teachers threatens to result in another outbreak.

Infectious disease specialists told OBOZREVATELhow to prevent the worst-case scenario and to preserve health.

What’s going on in the garden

The teacher of one of kindergartens of the capital Tatiana told to OBOZREVATEL about the problems employees faced on the first day of work. According to her, while the children in groups of not much, that is, parents are not in a hurry to withdraw, and take a few days pause to let things get settled.

From the main Tatiana notes that the hardest thing to convey to children the importance of social distance and, of course, entirely without contact between the kids impossible.

In the garden is difficult to maintain separation between children

“To keep a distance is very difficult, children don’t understand why they can’t play together, too. We have “special” children – they are the most difficult, they need tactile contact. The classes are structured so that the teacher is in contact with the child. The most strange is that they are at risk and they are allowed to visit pre-school institutions”, – says the teacher.

Of course, before the beginning of the day and the staff and children are physical and thermal screening. The administration of the kindergarten tries to minimize all possible risks of getting the virus in the team, but the problem is still there.

“Now in kindergarten parents lead children, even if they don’t have to work. In some areas of Ukraine introduced a requirement for the reception of children – a certificate stating that the parents went to work. I would like to see in Kiev, it was something like that. If possible, better to leave them at home to prevent the spread of the virus. We are happy to work with the children, but are worried about their children, because after work we go home. Don’t know for sure that all the children go to the garden healthy, help, canceled, and no information about possible diseases, we do not have,” said Tatiana.

Educators know nothing about children’s health

At risk

Infectious disease specialists point out that kindergartens are the closed type institutions, i.e. children for a long time are in the same enclosed room. And which are a threat to the emergence of microepidemic and the spread of disease. Similarly, in Kiev recorded outbreak in institutions such as dormitories, boarding schools, nursing homes and other.

There are risks, doctors say, and although children are quite easily transferred coronavirus disease, it is better to abandon a visit to the kindergarten.

“If the parents have the opportunity not to drive the child to the garden, it is best not to drive, as the danger exists. Despite the fact that the statistics of infection among children is low, they still get sick, though, and easily. But there are severe cases, recently the British magazine the British Medical Journal announced the number of deaths from COVID-19 children – 48 toddlers in the world. And who knows whose child could fall into that number,” said OBOZREVATEL children’s infectious diseases Sergey Kramarev.

Children may have trouble tolerating the disease

Agree with him and the infectious disease physician Oksana vygovska. According to her, when 80% of children carry the virus without symptoms, the possibility of infection and spread is much increased, especially in confined spaces. Time to determine that the child is sick, is almost impossible.

To minimize this possibility, the infectious disease specialist gave a number of recommendations. She said that if in kindergarten gets the virus carrier has the possibility of transmission of the disease is not airborne and contact-household. And in kindergartens need to get ahead of this transmission.

“First, wet cleaning, which is the norm. The second social distancing, teachers need to include fantasy and in any form to ensure the preservation of distances between the children. Third – hand wash which minimizes airborne transmission of the virus. Kids love water, and for them it will not be a problem. Antiseptics I do not recommend using, because it may be allergic reaction. The fourth is to ventilate the room and often bring children into the street. Yes, the weather is unstable now, but there are bright intervals when you can get some fresh air,” – said the Vyg OBOZREVATEL.

Children is more likely to withdraw to fresh air

In addition, the infectious disease doctor recommends that minimize the number of children in the group, putting him in one teacher, not two, as is done now.

According to her, the gardens are a threat and the fact that children come with different microflora and start it, “share”, which often collectively suffer from various infectious diseases.

If the child is prone to frequent ailments, you should not rush to take him to kindergarten, at least in the first wave, say infectious disease specialists.

“If they get sick even the common cold, it will lead to decrease in immunity, and children will be more susceptible to the coronavirus too. Parents should understand how often their child is at all sick, and do I need to put him in danger,” says the Vyg.

Of course, not only can children infect each other, the virus can enter the institution and employee of the kindergarten. It has been proved that at first the disease in adults may also be asymptomatic.

The virus can enter kindergarten and the teacher

Doctors insist that without testing the likelihood of importations into kindergarten from teacher impossible to exclude.

“In the capital boarding school outbreak occurred, after the infected employee. In kindergartens also carrier can be both the child and caregiver. It is best to do Express or PCR tests teachers every two weeks, as doctors,” – said Kramarev.

In addition, as is known, Ukraine has begun testing by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for antibodies to COVID-19. It can be used to know had whether a person is a coronavirus. According to Vygovskaya, it can also be a great tool to control the probability of infection in kindergartens.

“I would advise the administration of kindergartens to carry out ELISA testing for employees. Tests aren’t expensive, and it will allow you to figure out which of the teachers have been ill. In addition, you can allow them to work day after day and week after week. In this case, there is more time to trace possible manifestations of the disease,” – said the infectious disease.

Doctors believe that as much as possible to reduce the probability of occurrence of a new outbreak of the incidence of coronavirus in kindergartens can the staff. And it depends only on how the recommendations will be implemented.

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