Have your children been asking lots of questions about coronavirus and COVID-19? We’ve created a video for your children that can help explain what the virus is and how they can help keep our whole community healthy.
Transcript:
Hi everyone! I’m Amy, and this is Matt, and we’re from Noggin Builders. So many of our young friends who explore STEM with us have asked us questions about coronavirus, so we want to help by sharing some information.
Let’s start at the very beginning. Every living thing is made up of small parts called cells. A virus is a tiny organism that can make people, animals or plants sick by infecting those cells. People’s bodies have natural ways to fight infections. One example is a fever because higher temperatures can stop many viruses, and our bodies also create something called antibodies – these antibodies attack infection.
There are many different kinds of viruses. Coronavirus is a new virus that causes a disease called COVID-19. Did you know that scientists look at viruses using a very powerful microscope? Viruses can be different shapes and sizes. The coronavirus looks kind of like a spiky ball. Here’s an actual image from a microscope.
Most people who get sick with COVID-19 have a mild case – that means it’s not very strong or dangerous to your body. The most common symptoms are a fever and cough. If you have a mild case of COVID-19, you might feel sick for a short time – may a few days or a week – and then, after your body fights the infection, you will feel better!
Some people can get a more serious case of COVID-19 and it’s really important to help protect those people! One of the best ways we can help is to make sure that not everyone gets sick at the same time. Most people who get COVID-19 will be able to stay home and rest while they get better, but some people will need the help of a doctor. If everyone needs a doctor at the same time, it might take longer to get help, and those people could get more sick or stay sicker longer
Viruses can’t move by themselves. They don’t have arms or legs. So how does it get into your body? You know how your parents and teachers are always reminding you to share? Viruses are something we do not want to share!
Here’s what you should do to help!
Wash your hands! Use soap and warm water, sing the whole ABC’s or more while you are rubbing the soap around, and get all the little parts of your hands and fingers
Cover your cough or sneeze! Try to use a tissue to cover your mouth or if you don’t have one, the inside of your elbow. And don’t pick your nose…or at least use a tissue if you do!
Don’t touch your face! Your mouth, nose and eyes are an easy place for a virus to get into your body, and even though you’re going to be washing your hands really well (right?!) keeping your hands away from your face keeps the virus farther away from your body.
Lastly, there may be times when you and your family stay home for awhile, even if you are not feeling sick. Maybe you’ll feel sad to miss a favorite activity, but staying away from other people can be an important way of not sharing the virus with other people. You can use your time at home to play fun games, read your favorite books, and your parents might even think there will be extra time to clean your room! And many of your favorite activities will be sharing fun things to do by video, including us at Noggin Builders!
Meanwhile, we hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in the community. We’ll see you for more exploring really soon!
