Experts gave advice to parents: how to return from the Christmas tree without getting sick

The New Year holidays are taking place under “tridemic” conditions

The season for children’s Christmas trees and other winter holiday activities is in full swing. This year, the New Year holidays coincided with the so-called “tridemic” – a simultaneous increase in the incidence of coronavirus, influenza and milder ARVIs. Of course, there is no mortal risk, therefore there are no restrictions customary in the recent past – but, let’s agree, lying around for a week or two with the whole family with a fever is too high a price to pay for a trip even to the Nutcracker. A pediatrician with 30 years of experience told MK how to minimize risks.

There is no clear answer to the question: is it safe to go to the Christmas tree, to the museum, to the theater or to some other children’s holiday, MK’s interlocutor noted. The degree of risk is individual and depends on the immunity of each individual child and related factors in the family. Someone tolerates ARVI easily – three or four days of fever and snot, but for someone the same infection prepares +40 and the risk of otitis or meningitis…

“We also need to take into account the composition of the family, with whom the child lives permanently,” says the pediatrician. – If it is critically important not to bring any infection from outside – for example, there are pregnant women, very elderly people or, for example, cancer patients in the house – then it is better to refrain from crowds and spend the holidays at home or walking in nature. But if the risk of contracting ARVI is acceptable, then you can go. At the same time, following simple rules that will reduce the risk to a minimum.

Theater as a test

While traveling on public transport, you can wear masks on yourself and your child, the pediatrician advises. Similarly, you can use them in line at the buffet (however, more will be said about the buffet below). But sitting in the auditorium wearing a mask is too much, the harm from this (possible oxygen starvation, some children even faint from the stuffiness) is more than good. Unless there is a very coughing child nearby.

“But if someone is coughing or looks downright sick in the immediate vicinity, it is better to move further away; this is almost always possible,” says the doctor.

As for the already mentioned buffet, this is precisely the area of ​​greatest risk that should be avoided in theaters and performances. “Take with you something most delicious and favorite and have a snack, if necessary, “by weight”, after washing your hands,” the pediatrician recommends. – If you have a sanitizer in your purse, wipe your hands with it. But the queue at the buffet and the food itself can be a source of viruses – and not so much respiratory viruses, here it is the queue that is more dangerous, but rota and enteroviruses.”

Parents themselves also need to protect themselves from infection – again, taking into account their individual immunity. Rotaviruses are less dangerous for adults, but something respiratory can be caught from children with a bang – including coronavirus. The current strains are not very dangerous (but they are record-breakingly infectious), but for weakened organisms they can pose a danger.

– In general, for those parents who work with people – these are teachers, doctors, bank tellers, MFC employees and so on – going to the Christmas tree will not bring anything new from the point of view of infection, we have had a difficult epidemiological situation in Moscow for two months now, and that’s all “Those who could have gotten sick have already gotten sick at work,” says the doctor. – Therefore, in fact, almost all doctors and teachers are vaccinated against influenza, and even “Soviet” vaccines are better than nothing.

Finally, children’s sweet gifts should also be processed. And at the same time, the pediatrician recommends, check their composition. “There is now a wide range of gifts. You can find anything from “healthy” (from healthy lifestyle – healthy lifestyle – “MK”) bars made from a fruit mixture, similar to old marshmallows, to cheap chocolate, the composition of which is better not to read, so that your hair doesn’t stand on end.” If a child is allergic to any components, the composition of the gift must be carefully checked.

“You need to treat tangerines with caution; many have already forgotten how strong an allergen it is,” says the doctor. – But those who are attentive to children’s food already know everything.