Children for Health’s 28 Covid-19 Messages 

We drafted these 28 Coronavirus messages in September 2020. We like our messages to be really short so that children can memorise them easily and share them too. It can be fun for children to ‘collect messages’ memorising one a day until they have a full set – rather like a ‘health times table’.

We have our top 100 health messages for children to learn and share and lots of activities linked to the sets of messages. They are on the back of this poster too. We have a few other topics outside of these ten that can be viewed here.

All our health messages are meant as a starting point and should to be adapted, translated and illustrated (if possible). They are also starting points for chatting with friends and family. For example one child could say to his older sibling, “Please can you listen to this message and tell me what you think…”

If you are feeling afraid, do not listen to the news.

We also have a free storybook, Unlocked about children finding ways of coping with feeling ‘locked in’ by helping and having fun with others. This is available in Spanish too.

About Coronavirus

1. Coronavirus has many names: Coronavirus, Covid and Covid-19.
2. A virus is a harmful germ which is so small we cannot see it. When a virus is inside a body it makes more copies of itself and this makes us cough, feel tired and have fever.
3. Coronavirus spreads easily from one person to another.
4. Coronavirus affects everyone differently. Some hardly feel ill, some feel a bit ill, others feel very ill and some get so ill that they die.
5. Coronavirus moves into someone’s body through the eyes, mouth or nose.
6. Coronavirus can move from one infected person to a non-infected person in droplets through the air when they talk, cough or sneeze, or when a person touches a place where droplets have landed.
7. Coronavirus has infected people all over the world and, at the moment, there is no vaccine or cure.
8. People go to hospital when they are very ill with Coronavirus because they need doctors to help them breathe.
9. Some people have Coronavirus without knowing or feeling ill, but they can spread it to others.
10. Children and young people do not seem to get ill as easily as adults BUT they can spread the virus to adults

What people do now

1. To stop Coronavirus spreading, people have been asked to stay at home or stay 2 metres (6 and a half feet) away from others.
2. When people return home from being out they wash their hands properly and clean anything that was touched by others.
3. We try not to touch the T zone of our face (eyes, mouth, nose).
4. To stop droplets spreading we catch a cough or sneeze in our elbow or a tissue (which we then throw away).
5. If someone in your home falls ill, everyone in the house stays home and does not mix with others for 14 days. This is called self-isolation.
6. We help people who are alone in the best way we can while keeping safe.
7. We are kind and patient with each other at this time when so many people are worried about their future.
8. People wear face masks or face coverings to help reduce droplets spreading to others.

What children can do to help

1. Learn and share facts about Coronavirus to reduce fear!
2. If you hear a strange fact or story about Coronavirus don’t spread it, but check it with an adult.
3. Don’t spread information about Coronavirus until you know it’s correct.
4. Be kind to those who care for you. They may feel worried.
5. Do something fun every day! Play, talk, dance, laugh and sing.
6. Have fun with younger children in your house.
7. Stand 2 meters away from anyone who does not live in your house.
8. Be kind to anyone you know who has had Coronavirus or who lives with someone who has been ill with it.
9. Help younger children wash their hands properly.
10. If you are feeling afraid, do not listen to the news.

We have also collected together several resources to create Our Covid-19 Response page.