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Many kids have been getting sick lately causing a wave of fear and panic among parents, since the country is currently experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases.

As we all know by now, many COVID-19 symptoms are similar to the symptoms of the common flu and allergies.

So, once a child gets sick, it's hard to tell whether it's just flu, allergic rhinitis, or the dreaded COVID-19, unless a test is performed.

In a recent episode of Mars Pa More, Dr. Marthony Basco, or simply Doc Ato, who is the head of the community pediatrics at the Medical City, shed light on why so many children are getting sick nowadays.

“Alam po ninyo sumabay po ang COVID sa mga tinatawag nating seasonal illnesses kagaya po ng trangkaso, ubo't sipon, tapos malamig na weather…tinatawag na allergic rhinitis. Nakisabay lang po talaga ang COVID,” Doc Ato said.

He also shared tips on how parents can keep their kids protected amid the Omicron surge and the flu and allergy season.

Dr. Marthony Basco, head of the community pediatrics at the Medical City / Source: Mars Pa More

APAT DAPAT

According to Doc Ato, parents should keep in mind the acronym APAT when it comes to keeping kids and other family members safe against COVID-19.

The letter A” stands for air circulation, which emphasizes the importance of having good ventilation and air circulation in your home so that the virus won't get trapped there.

Meanwhile, the letter “P” stands for physical distancing, and the second letter “A” stands for “Always practice good hygiene.”

This means kids should always wash their hands and cover their mouths when coughing.

Finally, the letter “T” stands for time management, which underlines the significance of limiting a sick person's interaction or socialization with others to less than 30 minutes.

COVID-19 home care tips for children

You might be wondering, in the event that your child develops COVID-19 symptoms, when should you consult with a doctor or bring them to a clinic?

Doc Ato says that the only way to know for sure whether your child has COVID-19 or not is through testing.

Some of the symptoms that children may experience when they contract COVID-19 are a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher, cough, cold, and diarrhea.

“Usually po ang fever for flu, for COVID sa Omicron po, and for any other illness will die down. Magre-resolve siya in three days' time,” Doc Ato reveals. “So, kapag ang lagnat ng bata or kasama n'yo sa bahay ay lumampas ng tatlong araw, better consider online consultation or bringing the patient to the clinic.”

He also gave other home COVID-19 care tips such as basking in the morning sun before 9 a.m., taking a bath with lukewarm water, distancing yourself from other family members, using a designated set of utensils and separating it from the ones that your family use, and wearing face masks.

Watch the full discussion about protecting kids amid the Omicron surge in the Mars Pa More video above.

If the video above is not loading properly, you may watch it HERE instead.

For more features like this, tune in to Mars Pa More from Monday to Friday, at 8:45 a.m. on GMA.

Viewers abroad can also watch Mars Pa More via GMA's flagship international channel, GMA Pinoy TV. For the program guide, visit www.gmapinoytv.com.