One good side effect of the COVID pandemic was the dramatic drop in cold and flu cases. Now they are returning with parents of small children reporting the return of sniffles and coughs.
How to protect yourself from the cold and flu
First, if you are concerned about exposure you should get your kids tested for coronavirus. If the test is negative and the symptoms are not severe you can use your usual home remedies.
To stop the spread to the rest of the family, don’t forget the lessons learned over the last year and a half. That means if your child has a respiratory illness you may want to bring the masks back out.
They will only be needed for face-to-face contact and for the first few days of symptoms.
Also, don’t forget about hand-washing. Washing hands frequently with soap and water can help stop the spread of many illnesses, not just COVID.
The other advice is to get more air circulation. It can be tough to open windows during sweltering summer months, but fans help as well.
And while it may also be hard to social distance as a parent, you should still avoid kisses and cuddles during those first few days of symptoms. A healthy parent is a lot more helpful to a sick kiddo.