Each year as students head back to school, parents prepare for the risk of sniffles and sneezes and do what they can to prioritize their children’s health. This year, however, parents will be tasked with protecting their kids from COVID-19 in addition to the common cold, flu and other respiratory diseases.

General wellness should always be a focus for students of all ages, whether they are learning at home or in the classroom. The best way to keep your family healthy and reduce the spread of illness is through teaching children preventative healthcare habits.

“It’s essential for families to focus their attention on building and maintaining strong immune systems in order to battle all illnesses that will be prevalent this fall and winter,” said Dr. Linda Couillard, pediatrician at Memorial Regional Health. “Taking care of yourself, getting a flu vaccine, staying up to date on regular immunizations and practicing wellness habits are all great places to start.”

Get a flu shot

Dr. Couillard and other national healthcare experts are stressing the importance of getting the flu shot this fall and winter. While the flu isn’t as deadly or transmissible as COVID-19, it causes nearly 500,000 hospitalizations and 35,000 deaths annually, according to most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Flu season typically hits in October and lasts through spring, and there will likely be one or two strains of influenza circulating this year, Dr. Couillard said. The flu vaccine is available as early as September and is recommended for those aged 6 months and older.

Even if your child has not gotten a flu shot in the past, Dr. Couillard said it will be especially important to do so this year, in order to best protect them from at least one illness and to prevent the local healthcare system from getting too overwhelmed with patients. A bad flu season with a high number of hospitalizations combined with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could spell trouble.

“If we can prevent the flu or the severity of it with a vaccine and keep those individuals from needing emergency room care, we can focus our attention on patients with COVID-19 or other diseases with no vaccine,” Dr. Couillard explained. “With COVID-19 cases expected to rise this fall, the flu vaccine is one piece we have some control over when it comes to people getting sick.”

While the flu vaccine does not offer children or adults 100 percent protection against the virus, it can lessen symptoms and help decrease hospitalizations.

Other prevention methods

Germs are everywhere, especially in schools. The CDC warns that you can get sick by touching a surface where germs are lurking and then touching your face.

Dr. Linda Couillard

Good hand hygiene has never been more important. Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and to prevent the spread of colds, the flu, COVID-19 and other diseases. Hand sanitizers are not as effective at removing all types of germs or harmful chemicals, so when it’s the only option, make sure to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

Having students wear face coverings is also critical. COVID-19 is known to spread through the air, primarily through droplets that occur when someone with the virus sneezes, coughs, sings or talks, according to the World Health Organization. This is why Colorado’s mask mandate requires those who are 11 and older to wear a face covering over their noses and mouths while in public. Face masks should never be worn by children under the age of 2.

Other prevention methods to reduce the risk of illness include:

• Eating a healthy, nutritious diet
• Getting adequate rest and sleep
• Exercising or getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day
• Taking care of mental and emotional health and focusing on positivity
• Staying connected with friends, family and other loves ones, while following Colorado’s Safer at Home guidelines

“Focusing on wellness is critical,” Dr. Couillard said. “Ensure children are up to date on their annual physical exams with their primary care provider as well as their routine childhood vaccines.”

Immunizations are a safe and effective method to protect children from other serious diseases like measles, cancers caused by HPV and whooping cough, according to the CDC.

REMEMBER:

If your child is sick, keep them home from school and avoid going into public. This will help to prevent spreading illness in the community, which will be more important than ever this fall and winter.

Stay calm

Since the common cold, flu and COVID-19 have fairly similar symptoms — fever, cough, aches and fatigue — it can be difficult to tell with which your child is ill when they are not feeling well. Cold symptoms are generally the mildest, according to the CDC, and the flu is the only one with an annual vaccine to help protect children or lessen their symptoms.

If you suspect your child might have COVID-19, Dr. Couillard says not to panic. Isolate your child and all family members at home, and call your primary care provider to determine if testing is appropriate. From that point, she said they can provide additional advice and guide you through next steps.

For parents who are looking for additional resources and guidelines from medical professionals, Dr. Couillard recommends Children’s Hospital Colorado, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Each of these are parent-friendly websites with helpful resources.