Tips for families on how to navigate the pandemic (series: part 5 of 5)
Lyndsey Frey - Writer
There’s truly no one-size-fits-all solution for families navigating our new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While one family can’t wait to stuff the pool floats in the car and head to the pool, another frets that their very young children will touch every surface possible with their hands while in public spaces.
Finding a comfort level that’s right for your family as sports, stores and public areas open can be stressful and unnerving. That’s why Akron Children’s is putting together a 5-part blog series to help families figure out what’s right — and not right — for them. After all, we’re in this together.
We are very excited that our athletes are finally able to return to sports. We know how important sports are to the health and well-being of our children and young adults. Here are a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how to stay healthy in the midst of COVID-19.
Before practice, take your temperature. If you have a fever or are feeling ill, don’t go to practice. If anyone in the family is feeling ill or has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they should not attend until cleared by a medical professional. If you’ve been exposed to anyone with COVID-19, stay home and monitor your symptoms until you’ve been cleared.
Take a water bottle to practice, and do not share water bottles or towels with other players. When you arrive to practice, encourage players to stay in their cars until just before the game or practice to discourage congregating together in groups.
During practice, it is still important to maintain physical distancing of 6 feet or more when possible. Coaches and players should wash their hands regularly and avoid touching their face. Hand sanitizer should be available to use as needed.
Coaches, staff, officials, parents and spectators should all wear a cloth mask to avoid spreading the virus. When athletes are unable to maintain physical distancing, a cloth mask should be worn. However, if they develop shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, dizziness or lightheadedness, masks should not be worn. Consider using a bandana for athletes who have asthma or other breathing disorders, as this may be less restricting.
Avoid using the same shared equipment, including balls, bats, gloves, rackets and more whenever possible. When equipment does need to be shared, limit use of supplies to small groups and sanitize in between uses.
Avoid handshakes, hugs, high fives and fist bumps. Limit all nonessential personnel, staff, volunteers and spectators from games. Parents and family members should be cautious in attending if they have any preexisting conditions, such as COPD, asthma, diabetes or are over the age of 60. Know your local spread, and avoid traveling out of the community for competition.
There are a lot of things we can do to stay healthy, and we here at Akron Children’s Sports Medicine are here to get you back in the game.
For more details or to schedule an appointment, call 330-543-8260.
Editor’s note: Read parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 in this series.
Lyndsey Frey is a freelance writer based in Cleveland, Ohio. She specializes in blogging and content publishing, search engine optimization and social media marketing. Her work has been published online and in regional and national publications, such as Inside Business, Cleveland, Akron Life and Internet Retailer magazines.
Inside Children’s
Inside Children’s is an online community that provides inspirational patient and staff stories as well as information about health and parenting, hospital news, fundraising events and more.
There’s truly no one-size-fits-all solution for families navigating our new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While one family can’t wait to stuff the pool floats in the car and head to the pool, another frets that their very young children will touch every surface possible with their hands while in public spaces.
