SOMETHING WEIRD HAS HAPPENEDWhere Has Everybody Gone?

So now you’ve heard about COVID-19…... This is the short name for“coronavirus disease 2019.” It’s a new virus, and medical staff and scientists

are still learning about itRecently, this virus has made a lot of people sick. Scientists and doctors know

that most people will be ok, but health experts are giving people advice on how to stay healthy while they find a cure

For most people, being sick with COVID-19 would be a bit like having the flu. People can get a fever, cough, or have a hard time taking deep breaths. Most people who get COVID-19 have recoveredA small group of people who get it have had

more serious problems. From what doctors have seen so far, most children and young people don’t seem to get it much, and don’t feel very sick at all if they doHowever you have a role to play in protecting

other people so we can all stay healthy, because this virus can spread easily if we are not being careful

Health Tips for Everyone Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your

elbow. If you sneeze or cough into a tissue, throw it in the bin right away

Keep your hands out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. This will help keep germs out of your body

Keep things in the house clean to stop the virus spreading

You can help younger children and adults at home to clean the things we touch the most, like desks, doorhandles, light switches, phones and remote controls

You will have to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, going to the bathroom and before eating or preparing food

If you can’t find the soap, you’ll need to use hand sanitizer

We all have to try and stay in the house as much as possible now, so that we don’t catch or spread the virusThis is called ‘lockdown’ – and it’s the

reason why we can’t meet our friends or hug old people You don’t want other people’s germs in

your body, and they don’t want your germs eitherIt’s also why you’ll have noticed some

people who are working, like doctors & shop assistants wearing a mask over their nose and mouth

What happens if I get sick?

If you do get sick, it doesn’t mean you have COVID-19People can get sick from all kinds of

other thingsWhat’s important to remember is

that your GP and the people at home will help you with whatever you need to recover

If you become sick, you might have to be ‘isolated’, to avoid spreading the virus to other people. This means you might have to stay in your bedroom for 2 weeks (not always in your bed, though!). You’ll have to keep busy doing all the things you like to do in your room on your own, while other people bring you your food and take care of you

How to stop going crazy in lockdownNow that all the schools, MacDonald's, clubs and shops are closed, tostop the virus spreading, what will I do all day?....Exercise to stay healthy – try yoga, jog round the garden, join anonline zumba class, hoover the stairsHelp out to keep busy – make pizza dough, plant vegetables, paint yourRoom, hoover the stairsHave a laugh – watch You’ve Been Framed and Cat Fails togetherDon’t read or listen to all the fake news about COVID-19, read goodbooks and listen to your favourite musicUse screen time to learn Swedish, or how to knit your own hoodie

What you can do to keep healthyIt is important to keep yourself healthy, by eating good food, anddrinking lots of waterExercise is also very important in order to stay healthyTry playing football or going for a cycle or a run near your home You could offer to collect shopping for someone to help them outand that way you get to go for a walk tooThere are plenty of workout videos online if you want to try andkeep fit, or you could hoover the stairs?

What you can do while your school is closedIt’s important to keep some kind of routine and keep your learningbrain switched on so that you don’t melt from boredom or go bonkersCreate your own ‘imagine if I could’ timetable for part of the day –Remember the times you wished you could make up your own lessons? Read something that isn’t on screen, like a book, or sports/music magWrite a song or a ‘lockdown’ rap/learn your favourite lyrics by heartDesign a website for your future selfHistory: start a scrap book or a journal about the lockdown days – inyour future people won’t believe how strange 2020 was

What you can try and do if you feel angry or stressedRemember we’re all having to manage these changes at the moment and everyoneis going to get a bit stressed. It’s normal to feel angry if you can’t go out and dothings you like to do, but being angry with other people won’t change things Channel your feelings into something that uses a lot of energy, like changing thefurniture around in your bedroom, pulling up weeds, dancing to really fast technomusic or following an exercise video

What you can do if you feel anxiousTalk to someone – it always helps to share a worry with someoneKeep in touch with friends – maybe send them a card Try drawing or painting on your own or with someone– there aresome great art videos online for learning new, amazing techniquesDo things together in the house, like playing board games or videogames, or cooking and bakingTry some relaxation exercises like yoga poses, or memory gamesTake a long bath and use lots of scented lotionListen to music or watch a nature programme like Blue Planet

Keep doing the things that make me feel GREAT

What things do I

do that make me feel just

right

When I’m not sure

how I feel, what helps

What do I do when I don’t feel

OK

Who can I talk to

when I am feeling

lonely or sad

What support do

I need when I feel really

angry or scared

Check in with your feelings and supports – we need to look after ourselves