Hi Tony
Children and their caregivers need information, guidance and support to help them cope each step of the COVID-19 journey: from testing, to a positive diagnosis, to managing self- isolation/quarantine, to hospital admission, to coping with more invasive procedures through to recovery or grief and loss - including how to deal with separation and negotiate alternative care arrangements.
I imagine this should include some guidance on: mental health and self-care; how to communicate to children of different ages -ie. what do we say to children when they, or their caregivers are admitted into hospital - and how do we have these difficult conversations clearly, simply and supportively; plus tips on how to help children feel safe and supported (eg open, honest communication, a daily routine, maintaining contact with friends, helping out at home, exercise, play, etc - especially for children in low resource settings who are unable to lose themselves in the internet as they don't have access to data.
Please let me know if you - and others on the CHIFA network - have any material we can draw on and adapt for use in the South African setting...
Lori
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CHIFA profile: Lori Lake is commissioning editor at the Children's Institute, University of Cape Town in South Africa. Professional interests: I convene our child rights and advocacy courses for Health and allied professionals, and co-chair the advocacy committee in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. I am interested in how children's rights can serve as a "language of critique" and a "language of possibility" that enables paediatricians to listen more deeply to children in their care, to consider the contexts in which they live, and to take action to improve the quality of care and to address the broader social determinants of health. lori.lake AT uct.ac.za
