1 3 Literature Review On Covid-19 FirstName LastName University Course Name and
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Literature Review On Covid-19
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The biggest challenge of containing COVID-10 was preventing its spread. The disease is highly communicable, given that it could be passed from one person to the next via several means, such as mucus and saliva. As a result, several measures were enacted to help curb the spread of the disease. Some measures included social distancing, washing hands, hand sanitizer, temperature checks, and avoiding overcrowding. (UN, 2020). However, this poses a challenge for children at daycare centers because they have a harder time adhering to these protocols. Research has shown that the virus is less deadly among children, but the children could enhance the spread of the virus by transmitting it to their teachers, parents, and guardians. Additional measures must be implemented to prevent the disease from spreading at these daycare centers. A literature review on the subject is a nice starting point to determine the different strategies suggested by other researchers. Hence, the paper will conduct a literature review to evaluate how the spread of COVID-19 could be controlled.
Methods of Searching
It was not easy getting relevant resources at the school’s library because COVID-19 is a recent phenomenon that does not have a lot of literary work available at the school library. The paper combined physical and online searches for potential resources on the subject matter. Most resources were obtained from the online platform through a search on databases such as Google Scholar, CINAHL, PubMed, and BMC. These searches were conducted using keywords and were differentiated by date to prioritize the latest resources. Resources directly linked to the research question were prioritized, although general resources discussing the preventive measures for COVID-19 were also considered.
Review of the literature
Guthrie et al. comprehensively analyzed the protocols schools should use once the children return to school. The analysis involved country-specific measures to prevent the virus’s spread in schools. Denmark was among the first countries to allow children back in school after handling the initial impact of the virus (Guthrie et al., 2020). It was also guided by the health ministry’s information that children had the lowest risk of contracting the virus. Also, the analysis organized the children into small contact groups with minimal contact. Children from other groups allowed the children to play amongst themselves but prevented a full-blown spreading of the virus in case one of the children contracted the virus. These groups were under strict management, where they would arrive at school, stay in the designated areas, and have meals at separate times. The school also ensured the groups were not too large, only allowing 12 children per group, based on the maximum number that could fit in a classroom while maintaining sufficient social distance (Guthrie et al., 2020). Teachers also had to be divided across each group to prevent the movement from one group to another. This method only works with strict adherence to these rules and comprehensive monitoring from the teachers. Hence, micro groups could be implemented for daycare centers to mitigate the spread of the disease across the camp if one student contracts it.
Carvalho et al. provided recommendations to the Center for Global Development about schools’ re-opening after the pandemic. One of the recommendations was the provision of temperature checkpoints at the school. It is a measure that has been used in many sectors to help detect the disease associated with increased temperature (Carvalho et al., 2020). If daycare centers have temperature checkpoints, children exhibiting symptoms of the disease would be identified early, and measures would be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. This measure has been used for previous pandemics, such as Ebola outbreaks and the SARS breakout in Singapore. Its effectiveness is uncertain for COVID-19 because most patients suffering from the disease are asymptomatic. The temperature checks should be done in the morning and evening to maximize the potential of identifying the infected parties. However, the author notes that the method is ineffective and should be complemented with other preventive measures for maximum efficiency (Carvalho et al., 2020). As a result, temperature checks are a viable option for the daycare center, coupled with other preventive measures.
The World Bank provided a submission aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in schools. It underlined the importance of social distancing in preventing the spread of the virus. Its first mitigation measure for social distancing is that students should maintain a minimum distance of 1m between them (World Bank, 2021). This is based on the spreading mechanisms of COVID-19, which is prevalent through droplets from saliva spread during coughing. Past research has already supported the assertion that social distancing is an effective fighting tool against the spread of COVID-19. It is also backed by the National COVID-19 School Response Dashboard that showed statistics in schools that re-opened where they had lower infection rates if they observed a strict implementation of the COVID-19 social distancing. The social distancing directive is also facilitated by observing a maximum number of students per classroom, depending on the classroom’s size. Personal supplies are also important in minimizing contact between children. Children in daycare are encouraged to bring their playing tools, food, utensils, and other things to aid their studies, to prevent unnecessary interaction (World Bank, 2021). The teachers should also be vigilant to ensure the children are not sharing their personal supplies, which could be disastrous in spreading the virus. The paper also suggests having different arrival and departure times at the school to control the crowds. Children are prone to interaction during these arrival and departure times; hence staggering them would minimize the contact and reduce the spread of the virus.
Masks can also be an important tool in combating the spread of COVID-19. As mentioned above, the virus mostly spreads through droplets from coughing. It is one of the biggest ways the virus spreads in public spaces. Masks are the designated tools that help prevent droplets from traveling a large distance (Esposito et al., 2020). Children should be equipped with proper masks that are of the required qualities to prevent the droplets from passing through. The teachers should also enhance strict adherence to the protocol because children are unlikely to keep the masks on for an extended period. Overall, masks are important tools for daycare children to minimize the spread of the virus.
Washing hands and using hand sanitizers are prevention measures that have been used for COVID-19. The virus is often carried via the hand and transmitted from one person to the next through contact. The carrier could pick them from surfaces after a patient has left the droplets. They could also transmit the drop when they sneeze into their hands and make contact with another person. Hand washing and sanitizers are meant to minimize the spread of these droplets (Haque, 2020). These precautions also play a big role in enhancing hygiene and promoting a healthy environment. Therefore, washing points should be placed in several areas at the daycare to ensure the children constantly wash their hands and use hand sanitizer.
Findings
The literature has shown that micro groups, social distancing, and temperature screening are some of the best methods to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. COVID-19 thrives in open spaces where people are crammed. It is estimated that the minimum distance between people should be 1m which helps prevent the droplets from affected individuals from latching onto other people (Guthrie et al., 2020). Micro-groups also define the formation of small groups that do not interact to minimize the spread of the virus in case an infected person is discovered at the daycare. Temperature screening is used to identify students with high temperatures, one of the symptoms the virus portrays (Guthrie et al., 2020). However, it is unreliable and should be used with other methods to increase efficiency. These three methods could be implemented in the daycare center because the children could be organized to play in small groups. It is impossible to prevent the children from playing; an easier option would be having a controlled playing session with staggered times. It means that one child contracting the disease would be contained within the group that they are in, preventing the rest of the children from contracting the disease. Children should also arrive and leave the daycare and different times to minimize the spread of the virus. Temperature screening should be implemented at these arrival and departure times to ensure that children exhibiting the symptoms are given the necessary care until they are tested. Their efficacy might be lower than other methods due to the asymptomatic nature of most infected patients, but it would be invaluable in cases where symptoms are visible. Overall, the literature review has shown that these methods are effective in fighting the virus and should be strictly implemented to minimize the spread of the virus.
The review has also shown that masks, hand washing, and sanitization can also be used to prevent the spread of the virus in daycare centers. Children are playful and would likely come into contact despite the teachers’ best efforts. Masks are important when children disobey the social distancing rules. The main medium of transportation for the virus is through droplets which can be minimized by using the mask. Teachers must be vigilant to ensure the students retain their masks when playing. Hand washing is another technique that prevents the spread of the virus from bodily contact. The virus is usually spread through a person’s hands through greetings and other bodily contacts. Children are highly likely to forget their prevention rules and interact freely, which involves a lot of bodily contacts. Hand washing helps keep their hands clean and prevents the spread of bodily fluids via the hands (Haque, 2020). They should be spread throughout the daycare center to ensure the children frequently wash their hands. Hand sanitizers serve a similar purpose but are better placed given that they are mobile. As a result, they can be carried around for the children to use at their convenience.
Conclusion
COVID-19 prevention measures have been difficult to implement in different sectors. This stems from fatigue that arises from doing the same thing every day. Daycare centers are susceptible to spreading the virus because children are active and are always playing. They also do not understand the danger of the virus and the importance of adhering to the measures they are told. It means the teachers have to be extra vigilant in ensuring the children stick to the formulated measures. Measures suggested in the literature review have been used across other sectors in the fight against the virus. They include social distancing, temperature screening, micro groups, wearing masks, washing hands, using hand sanitizers, and staggered arrival and departure times. These measures are efficient if strictly implemented, which would challenge daycare teachers. Overall, the literature review has shown that these are the core principles that should be followed if the spread of the virus is to be managed in daycare centers.
References
Carvalho, S., Rossiter, J., Angrist, N., Hares, S., & Silverman, R. (2020). Planning for school re-opening and recovery after COVID-19. Center for Global Development, 26.
Esposito, S., Principi, N., Leung, C. C., & Migliori, G. B. (2020). Universal use of face masks for success against COVID-19: evidence and implications for prevention policies. European Respiratory Journal, 55(6).
Guthrie, B. L., Tordoff, D. M., & Meisner, J. (2020). Summary of school re-opening models and implementation approaches during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Haque, M. (2020). Handwashing in averting infectious diseases: Relevance to COVID-19. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 27(SP1), e37-e52.
UN. (2020). Policy brief impact of COVID 19 on children. Retrieved from: https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/160420_Covid_Children_Policy_Brief.pdf
World Bank. (2021). Minimizing transmission in schools. Retrieved from: https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/057ed7d19e5565ba9ff7b813f7301d13-0090012021/original/Transmission-22-5-2021.pdf