We’ve all heard the term at this point, but do you know the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic? I break it down in simple terms we can all understand.
How to Explain a Pandemic in Terms Simple Enough for a Child
Being a mom isn’t easy, especially during this pandemic, where not only are we homeschooling, but many of us are trying to work, as well. Full-time kids can drive you crazy. But I think that’s normal, and okay to feel that way.
My daughter says I often look stressed. (I’m sure I do because I am.) My son comes back with, “you got this.”
I got this.
If I’m honest, what gets me through isn’t in thinking, “they’re only little for this long,” or “a happy home is a messy home,” or whatever that saying is. Sorry to say that it’s not those things.
It’s my passion for something beyond this home. It’s science; it’s education; it’s writing; it’s being able to relate to and help other parents make the informed decision to vaccinate their child or children.
Without passion, a hobby, or a goal, it makes this whole social distancing thing really hard mentally and physically.
As mothers, we tend to feel bad about saying no to getting down and playing. I’m not saying not to get down and play. BUT, sometimes you need to say no. Sometimes you need to let your children know that you need time for your fun, your passion, your hobby, and your goals. It’s great to show them that you’re not just their parent. You’re a whole person doing things you love.
My daughter said just a bit ago, “are you working on vaccine stuff?”
“Well, yes ma’am, I am, and it’s important to me; go play, and I’ll be there in a bit.”
Yesterday I told my son that I’m not doing the puzzle with him because I’m writing something meaningful. He turned around and did it by himself.
I don’t feel sorry about that.
Written by Moshe Rhodes and illustrated by Kristin Coghlan, Jenny’s First Sleepover is a fascinating book for children (age 4 and up) that shows the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Here’s the author:
As a millennial in the United States, I never really considered that I’d live through a full-fledged pandemic. Outbreaks of plague, smallpox, cholera, and even polio were distant occurrences relegated to the world of history books, third-world countries, and video games. Oregon Trail, anybody? Antibiotics, modern medicine, improved hygiene, and vaccination have proven to be largely victorious over the majority of infectious diseases. Clearly, I am not alone.
It is horrifying to watch the millennials and gen Zers crowding the Florida beaches during spring break 2020, fully aware of Covid-19. It is like watching a slow-moving car wreck to witness the ever-increasing rate of anti-vaxxers and vaccine hesitancy among members of my generation.
As a cancer survivor, recent father, and professor of microbial genetics, I wanted to take a stand against the rampant anti-vaccination that is endangering myself and those I hold dear. To that end, I recently wrote a darkly humorous satirical picture book Jenny’s First Sleepover in an effort to combat the anti-vaccination rhetoric in the United States. In Jenny’s First Sleepover myself and illustrator Kristin Coghlan endeavor to portray the real-world consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases in a light-hearted but in your face manner. Think Go the F—k to Sleep or A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo meets vaccination.
My hope was that Jenny’s First Sleepover would serve as a friendly reminder to people of the seriousness of diseases such as measles, tetanus, and diphtheria before we witnessed them first-hand once again. The clamor for a coronavirus vaccine may yet signal the death knell for the antivaccination movement and render Jenny’s First Sleepover obsolete. That would certainly be a silver lining. Sadly, I have my doubts.
You can purchase Jenny’s First Sleepover on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble
Find out more about Jenny’s first sleepover visit www.jennysfirstsleepover.com and xx on Facebook
Should you be worried about your children catching COVID-19?
I’ve gathered up all of the most recent facts and stats for you right here to let you decide.
Complications, as well as the risk of getting the virus, seems to increase with age.
Right now the stats say that the majority of COVID-19 cases (87%) are in people 30-79. Only 8.1% of cases are in people in their 20s, 1.2% in teens, and 0.9% are in 9 and under.
Does that mean that kids aren’t at as high of a risk for getting infected? Not necessarily.
This low number may mean that cases in children are underreported. Children might be getting it but it doesn’t get documented that they’ve contracted the virus. That’s because most of the time children show no symptoms of the virus or the symptoms are mild enough that they tend to escape detection.
So, it may be not that they aren’t getting infected, it’s that they aren’t getting the disease–they aren’t getting sick.
As of March 11, worldwide, no one under the age of 9 has died from the virus and only 0.2% between 10-19 die from the virus, according to the CDC. Compare this to the flu, which has killed 136 children in the U.S. so far this season.
What are the symptoms in a child with COVID-19?
Disease signs in children include those of a bad cold: cough, congestion, headache, and runny nose–all easily mistaken for any other cold virus. Sometimes there’s diarrhea/vomiting, but not often. Even if these symptoms don’t appear, an infected child can still spread disease. and it could easily infect a person who may succumb to it, such as an elderly person or someone who is immunocompromised.
If kids aren’t getting sick, when should you be concerned?
Children with chronic medical conditions are at higher risk for complications. Kids with asthma, for example, are at particularly high risk for pneumonia from COVID-19.
What do you do for an immunocompromised child?
Follow standard precautions with all children such as washing hands with soap and water, avoiding people who are sick, and not touching the face, eyes, nose, and mouth. There’s no need to put a facemask on your healthy child. Beyond that, distance your immunocompromised child from large social gatherings and in places where outbreaks are known.
Parents, if you or your child is sick with anything, please stay home. No matter what it is, spreading any disease to other people, especially immunocompromised people, could be deadly.
Related resources you may find helpful:
- Education Week: Children and Coronavirus: 4 Questions Answered
- CDC: Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019: Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children
- QUICK FACTS AND INTERESTING TIDBITS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS 2019 AND COVID-19
- Daily U.S. Coronavirus Updates at The Vaccine Mom
- Johns Hopkins Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases Tracker
- Bloomberg’s Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World
- Worldometer for current U.S. case and death count
- CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) page
- WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak page
- NBC News live updates
Watch my video on Vaccinate Your Family’s blog: Shot of prevention HERE!
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