To assist parents with their explanations of COVID-19, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation with the help of The Institute for Education Research (TIER) at UHN, have put together some kid-friendly information on the subject.
Below is some additional helpful information and a list of resources to help both you and your children understand more about COVID-19.
Why is it called COVID-19?
Scientists like to name things after what theylook like, but not in English,they use the ancient language of Latin. In Latin,coronameans crown, and virus is from an old Latin word meaning slimy liquid or poison (the idea of an invisible germ did not exist when this word came to be).
Coronavirus isactually aname for a family of viruses that is round with club-shaped spikes all over the outside. Theparticular virusthat is causing the pandemic all over the world is called SARS-CoV-2, and the disease that the virus causes is called COVID-19, fromCoronaVirusDisease 2019.
This virus is sometimes called the ‘novel coronavirus’ because it is new in humans.Novelmeans‘“new”in science language.
Why can’t I see my friends?
Every contact with someone outside of your home is an opportunity that the virus might travel into your family circle, so unnecessary visits are not a good idea at this time. It can be tough not to see your friends, and this difficult decision is how we help protect our families and friends. Some kids have parents and family who need to go out to work. These adults are doing everything they can to protect themselves at work by wearing equipment that blocks the virus and washing their hands.
What can I do to help?
You are helping most by keeping yourself healthy as you keep your distance and wash your hands. Soap or alcohol disrupts the virus membrane (cracks open the virus covering) and destroys it. Soap disrupts lots of other common germs too, so hand washing is a good habit for life, anyway.
Some kids are helping by making masks for friends, family, or healthcare workers.There are lots of patterns on the internet if you would like to give it a try.
The science on happiness shows that you feel happier for longer when you do something for others than whenyou do something for yourself.Try planning snacks for a movie night or making a scavenger hunt for your siblings.
Moreresources:
Activities to learn more about coronavirus:
https://www.exploratorium.edu/learn
https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-kids-activities.html
More COVID-19answers:
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/1/21241123/talking-to-kids-about-coronavirus
https://nosycrowcoronavirus.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Coronavirus_ABookForChildren.pdf
Resources to explain the COVID-19 virus to kids:
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1717047875867
Explaining the coronavirus to kids:
https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/watch-justin-trudeau-answers-kids-questions-about-the-coronavirus
Understanding the science of COVID-19for parents:
https://guides.hsict.library.utoronto.ca/covid19