By Juliet Nwite
The rains are here, and it comes with the wind. Infectious diseases travel with it, into our bedrooms, sitting rooms and kitchens. Children become the easy targets.
Consequently, at the paediatrics ward of the General Hospital, Ifako Ijaiye, which is a Lagos state owned hospital, the nurses and doctors are overwhelmed by the large number of patients coming down with airborne infections.
Patients traffic have tripled since the rains started. The complaints are similar – catarrh, cough, breading difficulty, high body temperature and diarrhoea.
Panic-gripped parents are often seen chasing after a handful of nurses and doctors. They all want their children to get better.
Airborne diseases are tiny pathogens like viruses, fungi, bacteria that are found in the air. It is contacted when the air is infected and can be spread through coughing, sneezing and many others.
Windy weather condition is critical with children, due to their immune system. They are mostly victims of air borne diseases. During the windy weather condition or rainy season, children are likely to be infected withthese flying bacteria or viruses.
Some of the common air borne diseases are Influenza, Common cold, Mumps, Measles, Whooping cough. The uncommonones are Meningitis and Anthrax.
Here are tips on how to prevent your child from catching those bugs that may have perched in your apartment.
Maintain a good hygiene. Keep your surrounding neat. Clean the house as many times as you can, especially if you have a child that crawls because their hand is always in their mouth.
Ensure that your child eats well. Children have fragile immunity. When they eat well, their body becomes strong enough to resist an infectious attack.
Kit them well when the weather is cold. Don’t send your child outside when the weather is windy. Put on your child layers of clothes to ensure that their body temperature is warm.
Seek medical help when you suspect anything. The hospital is your best bet when your child looks sick. Don’t self medicate. Take him to a recommended hospital when he looks ill.
