Almost a year after the first Covid-19 case was reported in Kerala last February, the pandemic is on the wane in India. The caseload has fallen from a high of 97,860 infections and 1,173 fatalities per day (September 30) to 9,100 and 96 (February 10); industry and businesses have reopened; domestic air and rail travel has resumed, and the government’s anti-Covid vaccination programme is being rolled out countrywide starting with frontline healthcare personnel. Last month, most state governments also reopened schools for secondary and middle school students. Yet even though the pandemic curve has flattened, the advice from health professionals is that the virus and its variants are still out there, so don’t let your guard down!
In particular, parents are naturally anxious about sending children back to school for fear of their being infected by the virus. Naturally they worry about children in crowded classrooms maintaining social distance, wearing masks, washing hands etc. Moreover an effective anti-Covid vaccine for children has not yet been proven. Meanwhile it makes good sense for parents to invest time and effort in building up the natural immunity of children against the Covid-19 and other viruses. Fortunately, latest research on the prevalence of Covid-19 within young children indicates that they constitute only a small percentage of the virus infected. Preliminary indications are that children’s immune systems are better equipped to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus than adult systems. This natural immunity of children needs to be enhanced to prepare them for school reopening in the post-pandemic era.
For our timely cover story, PW editors interviewed a cross-section of health, nutrition and lifestyle gurus who suggest six important ways and means to build robust immune systems within children and adolescents. A holistic prescription to boost children’s immunity is detailed in our informative cover feature. It goes way beyond the immunity booster pills and concoctions advertised as magic bullets for Covid-19. An integrated regimen comprising fortified diet, sufficient sleep, regular exercise and stress-free lifestyle, is the solution for enhancing children’s immunity to beat the Covid and other viruses, advise our experts.
There’s much else in this issue. Check out how to measure the physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development of youngest children, and the Middle Years feature answering five most commonly asked questions about vaccinating children against Covid-19. Also highly recommended is the specially curated reading list for children celebrating the extraordinary rise of Kamala Harris, the first African-Indian and woman vice president of the United States of America.
