Introducing mental health programs and counselling services within educational institutions can support vulnerable populations. Empowering students to become mental health advocates fosters a culture of openness and support, reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking behaviour.
As holiday break is over, children are back to school. But flu and COVID-19 are currently circulating at high levels, as well as other winter illnesses. COVID-19 infections are expected to increase further in India, given the current situation in some countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and the US.
In view of the rising cases of scarlet fever, flu and COVID-19 in the country, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued back to school advice, asking parents to follow precautionary steps to protect their children from these diseases as well as minimise the spread of illnesses in schools and childcare settings.
"It's important to minimise the spread of infection in schools and other education and childcare settings as much as possible," said Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Professor Hopkins advises parents to take some simple steps to reduce the spread of flu and COVID-19 infections in schools. Parents in India can follow the same to protect their children from COVID-19 and winter illnesses. The UKHSA's back to school advice says:
India recorded 188 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, according Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's COVID-19 update released on Thursday morning. The country's active caseload currently stands at 2,554. India's daily positivity rate and weekly positivity rate is recorded at 0.10 per cent and 0.12 per cent respectively.
During the same time, 1,93,051 COVID tests were conducted and 61,828 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered. So far, total 220.12 crore vaccine doses (95.13 crore second dose and 22.42 crore precaution dose) have been administered under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive.
