Ministry of Ayush Issued Home-Care Guidelines for Children During COVID-19

In between the fears of an on-going pandemic and a third COVID wave, the Ministry of Ayush recently handed out a document of detailed guidelines to safeguard children from Covid-19. The document titled “Home care guidelines for children and Advisory for AYUSH Practitioners about prophylactic care in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The guidelines are extremely helpful for the care of children at home and provide an insight on the steps to be taken by parents, caregivers and practitioners to safeguard children during the pandemic.

Children have a strong immune system but as the mutant strains are emerging, it is extremely vital to take special care to prevent them from the virus. “Prophylaxes (preventive treatment) is the best approach to save children from this deadly virus,” the 58-page document of the ministry said.

As per the guidelines, usage of masks, doing Yoga, preventive healthcare through Ayurvedic medicines and nutraceuticals, opting for teleconsultations, monitoring for five warning signs and vaccination for parents are extremely vital.

Preventive measures such as “Train children to wash hands after using toilets, coughing, sneezing, nose-blowing, before eating and immediately when coming inside from outdoor play” should be taken care of.

The document states that babies born to Covid positive mothers should be tested within 24-48 hours it also states that even if the mother is positive she should continue to breastfeed the baby with proper precaution. In case the child is positive but the parents aren’t, the guidelines have also detailed out several measures including, “Sick child’s belongings like towels, beddings and clothing should be washed in hot water and using detergents desirably, gloves should be worn when washing their laundry.”

As per the document, here are some signs to look out for:

• Fever lasting beyond 4 or 5 days
• Decreased oral intake by child
• Child becoming lethargic
• Increasing respiratory rate
• Oxygen saturation dropping below 95% (ensure proper recording by a standard oximeter with good displayed waves).
• Diarrhoea/vomiting/pain in abdomen
• Red eyes/rash over the body
• Irritability, unconsciousness
• Poor urine output

Footnote

Taking proper preventive measures during this time is extremely important to safeguard the children’s health. Keep your child inside as much as you can and follow the above-written guidelines issued by the ministry of Ayush to keep them safe.