Good afternoon,

We have put together some advice (below) for parents worried about coronavirus for their children and for the 'sandwich generation' of people worrying also about elderly family members. It includes tips of how to educate and empower ourselves before sharing that information and helping family members. The advice and comments are provided by healthcare specialist and author Burton Paul, who divides his time between London where he works and Wales where he lives. He is available for in-studio interviews and comment via email/telephone depending on what you need. His book is called Is It Serious? How to search for health information on the Internet.

Personally, as a parent to 9 and 11 year olds, I believe this information could be hugely helpful to many especially as my daughters' primary school has issued two emails so far this week to parents relating to coronavirus and had "age-appropriate" conversations with each year group as of yesterday about coronavirus. Parents, teachers and caregivers need to know how to educate and empower themselves so that they can help themselves, their children, and the older members of their family, particularly important for the so-called 'sandwich generation'.

More information below but please do get in touch if you'd like to speak with Burton. 

Thanks, 

Helen Lewis 

Director 

Literally PR 

www.literallypr.com 

Coronavirus expert available for media comment, interview & editorial

Online press folder containing more press information, a digital copy of the book, photos of the author etc: http://bit.ly/BurtonPaul

Is It Serious?How to search for health information on the Internet is available to buy onlinehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Serious-search-Health-Information-Internet-ebook/dp/B07S24HSCY

Parents: How to keep your children safe during the coronavirus

Burton Paul, a healthcare specialist with decades of experience, andauthor of an invaluable book calledIs It Serious?How to search for health information on the Internet, is recommending that parents and teachers spend time researching the coronavirus (educating and empowering themselves) by referring to the most reliable and trusted resources online first (please see below for the top five recommendations or visit ) and then sharing age-appropriate information with them when they are armed with the facts. The aim of any conversation about the coronavirus with a child is to help them feel empowered and educated - in an age-appropriate manner - to help allay concerns. Even in the playground, there is talk about the coronavirus, children are expressing fears that they or a family member will get the virus, and at this stage, Burton Paul believes that one of the most dangerous things that could happen, is that parents pass on misinformation to their children without realising - and there is a lot of it about. 

We are also aware that some schools are issuing emails on an almost daily basis this week and having age-appropriate conversations with each class group. Key focus points are relating to hygiene such as washing hands while singing 'happy birthday' song twice over. What can parents be doing to reinforce the communications being provided in schools? What is the best advice that parents can give to under 7s, 7-11 year olds and older, secondary-school age children?

Burton is available to send more comment over via email, including top sites and Apps to trust, or for in-studio or telephone interviews. Media contact:helenlewis@literallypr.com.

Burton Paul's top five websites for parents, teachers and other carers of children to visit during the coronavirus:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html

https://www.unicef.org/stories/novel-coronavirus-outbreak-what-parents-should-know

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus.html

https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know 

Q&A with Burton Paul, author of Is It Serious? How to search for health information on the Internet

1. What can parents be doing to reinforce the communications currently being provided online and in schools?

Parents need to speak to their children, particularly those with access to a smartphone, tablet or voice-controlled personal assistant device, such as the Amazon Echo, about the dangers of social media and people posting false information such as fake prevention and fake cures. Twitter and Facebook are cracking down on this misinformation but it's a big battle. Google has created a way to show the more credible websites when you search for Coronavirus. Remember children are savvy. There are several Apps that are amazing such as ECDC threat reports, CDC, and WHO.int apps. Children spend time on their phones - if they want to learn more, they are sure to get the most accurate info on those apps. 

Parents also need to educate and empower themselves first before passing on information in an age-appropriate way to children:https://isitserious.org/coronavirus.

2. What is the best advice that parents can give to children?

Be smart. Follow Public Health recommendations (follow link above mentioned) regarding what you need to know. Follow the rules of washing hands and encourage that at home, and especially in public places. If you're particularly concerned, stay away from big crowds. It can help explain to children about how it is spread and what the symptoms are, but try to encourage them to feel safe and secure, while educated and informed, as it is currently believed that the virus seems to cause a milder infection in children than in adults or older people.The main piece of advice, though, is toteach them how to properly and regularly wash their hands. 

3. The key messaging in schools seems to be focused on general hygiene such as hand washing while singing 'happy birthday' song twice over - how can parents support this message at home?

The CDC has a good link on hand washing:

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

WHO has a video:

https://youtu.be/IisgnbMfKvI

And a link:

https://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Hand_Hygiene_Why_How_and_When_Brochure.pdf

And this government link in the UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-information-campaign-focuses-on-handwashing

The sandwich generation - how to keep older family members safe from coronavirus

Burton Paul, a healthcare specialist with decades of experience, andauthor of an invaluable book calledIs It Serious? How to search for health information on the Internet, is recommending that anyone concerned about the health of their families - their parents and/or children, take the time to educate and empower themselves using reliable and trusted resources online before embarking on any conversations. A list of recommended and trusted sites are available via:https://isitserious.org/coronavirus.

According to the latest information from the ECDC (https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china/questions-answers), generally elderly people and those with underlying conditions (e.g. hypertension, heart disorders, diabetes, liver disorders, and respiratory disease) are expected to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms.

A 2019 report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that more than a quarter of such sandwich carers, people typically in their 40s and 50s, are suffering from depression or stress. Sandwich carers look after their elderly parents and their children. There are 1.3 million people in the UK with such multi-generational caring responsibilities. This sandwich generation may be feeling the pressure three-fold: for themselves, their children and their older family members including their parents. In America, seven people have died as a result of coronavirus in a Seattle care home and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are being pinpointed as vulnerable to infection.

Burton Paul recommends that anyone concerned about the health of their elderly family members consider downloading the following Apps and/or visit the following trusted websites. He also recommends people avoid scrolling through social media, listening to advice from people who are not trusted professionals, and sharing misinformation. 

Six top tips from trusted resources for the elderly:

1. Hand washing and disinfection is the key to preventing infection. You should wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, you can also use alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol. The virus enters your body via your eyes, nose and mouth, so avoid touching them, on your own body or someone else's, with unwashed hands (Source: ECDC).
2. Face masks help prevent further spread of infection from those who are sick to others around them. However, face masks do not seem to be as effective in protecting those who are not infected (Source: ECDC).
3. The influenza vaccine given to the elderly in the UK will not protect you from COVID-19. To date, there is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-2019 (Source: WHO).
4. It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment). If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose (Source: WHO).
5. Do not self-medicate if you think you have coronavirus. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections (Source: WHO).
6. Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely) by checking the websites recommended by Burton Paul at https://isitserious.org/coronavirus. If possible, avoid travelling to places  - especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease. You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas (Source: WHO)

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