It’s like 7000% easier to be careful about COVID (and other common bugs) if you don’t have a kid or kids. Are there any mitigation resources people recommend that account for children and babies?
Replies
OTC nose spray. Newest research: reduces transmission by about 70%
sep 8, 2025, 8:40 pm • 0 0 • view
If your kid goes to a daycare you could offer to build a Corsi-Rosenthal air filter for the room. (Cheap, effective.)
sep 8, 2025, 1:30 am • 2 0 • view
Not really. Air purifiers help?
sep 8, 2025, 1:25 am • 2 0 • view
They do! My kid’s kindergarten teacher said she didn’t get her usual winter cold. And Doom didn’t bring home covid last year with an air purifier in his class. He still brought home a cold but less respiratory junk overall
sep 8, 2025, 1:51 am • 6 0 • view
Azelastine (Astepro in the US) reduces Covid transmission by 70% and is safe for kids. 3 squirts per day per nostril. Hopefully your family won’t have the fatigue side effect (4% do).
sep 8, 2025, 7:38 pm • 0 0 • view
See url 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.4283. Thanks to @erictopol.bsky.social for the alert.
sep 8, 2025, 7:42 pm • 0 0 • view
Move to a country with sane, responsible leadership.
sep 8, 2025, 8:33 pm • 0 0 • view
Look into Astepro allergy. There has been research on azelestane for covid prevention. www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/ant...
sep 8, 2025, 8:15 pm • 0 0 • view
If you have Instagram, I recommend following @shishi.rose. This post has a lot of info in it but generally she's also very good at sharing the ins and outs of protecting her young daughter. www.instagram.com/p/C4Tg1FPOhT7/
sep 7, 2025, 9:43 pm • 0 0 • view
Not a parent but work in Peds. When I was new to Peds, I got got a respiratory virus almost every month. Masking was less of a thing. Since 2020, I’ve had 2 respiratory illnesses (COVID caught me once in 2023… via a potluck). Azelastine nasal spray is very promising and benign for most adults. 1/3
sep 9, 2025, 1:18 am • 1 0 • view
Besides masking when around others who are/ may be sick and frequent handwashing, two other things to be very intentional about: 1) stop touching your face. Don’t rub your eye, scratch your nose, or put anything near your mouth without washing your hands. If you touch, wash again. 2/3
sep 9, 2025, 1:18 am • 0 0 • view
2) wipe down your smart phone, tablet, computer keyboard, and mouse 2-3 times per day with alcohol. Our electronic devices are cesspools, and germy hands are always touching them. I carry the little swab packets that come in a box around in my pocket/purse. Every little bit helps. Good luck! 3/3
sep 9, 2025, 1:18 am • 0 0 • view
ive been on the hunt for this info, too and have not found anything😞 kids can't mask till 5 or 6 years old and up until then...parents should just roll the dice? i hate it
sep 7, 2025, 7:51 pm • 1 0 • view
The best prevention is to not elect psychopathic morons to the highest offices in the land.
sep 8, 2025, 8:14 pm • 0 0 • view
We taught our kids to wear masks starting in 2020. I have one in 3rd, one in 1st and one who just started K. They do not get sick constantly at school, despite skipping the usual rounds of childhood colds. They wash their hands before lunch and snacks and eat lunch with their masks on. No covid yet🤞🏻
sep 7, 2025, 8:42 pm • 15 1 • view
How do they eat lunch with their masks on?
sep 8, 2025, 2:43 am • 0 0 • view
Hold their breath, move mask aside, take a bite, restore mask, breathe. Lots of people do it this way! It works great.
sep 8, 2025, 2:47 am • 1 0 • view
Having a computer job, masking, vaccinating and not going out much only works if you don’t also live with a small human who will lick everything and then sneeze directly into your mouth.
sep 7, 2025, 7:35 pm • 112 3 • view
Is there a particular reason why you fear getting infected?
sep 7, 2025, 7:39 pm • 1 0 • view
I have asthma and my spouse is moderately immunocompromised. From a non-health perspective, if your baby is sick you don’t have child care and somebody has to miss work. I missed most of last week. It’s very inconvenient!
sep 7, 2025, 8:12 pm • 11 0 • view
because covid is a serious disease w/potentially long-lasting/permanent complications. Beyond breathing: How COVID-19 affects your heart, brain and other organs | American Heart Association share.google/d1C0ATdg5drB... Long COVID | Washington State Department of Health share.google/iEQD9Ihw0apk...
sep 7, 2025, 8:01 pm • 12 1 • view
She’s very cute! She also has no concept of germ theory.
sep 7, 2025, 7:38 pm • 91 0 • view
Babies and toddlers often have 6-10 colds a year. Some that go to daycare can have up to 12. Symptoms can last 2 weeks, which means they can be snotty for 6 months of the year. Not sure there is much to do with these snot bombs other than what you’re likely already doing. 🫠
sep 7, 2025, 7:47 pm • 23 1 • view
Is there a way to keep that from turning into us both being sick all the time or is that just a lost cause?
sep 7, 2025, 8:22 pm • 5 0 • view
I masked when Doom brought something home. Household ventilation. Nasal sprays. Mask training after age 2. I send Doom to school with a handheld air purifier that sits on his desk and I put Honeywell HEPAs in his classrooms.
sep 8, 2025, 1:48 am • 3 0 • view
Unfortunately if nobody else masks, and if the teachers won’t ask him to mask, he won’t either but he’s good about travel. He’s not the only masking kid in his school though.
sep 8, 2025, 1:49 am • 0 0 • view
Wash your hands a lot. But kids put snot covered fingers in their parents mouths so… a little inevitable.
sep 7, 2025, 8:31 pm • 6 0 • view
The “sneeze directly into my mouth” was not an exaggeration, lol.
sep 7, 2025, 9:35 pm • 4 0 • view
She just likes to share!
sep 7, 2025, 9:36 pm • 2 0 • view
This kind of situation is what I blame getting a strep infection in my eye from.
sep 8, 2025, 7:41 pm • 0 0 • view
It's a lost cause until they're about six. You can go nuts with contagion theater and wiping stuff down and being neurotic, but then you'll just be sick and neurotic. It sucks.
sep 7, 2025, 9:32 pm • 0 0 • view
far-uvc will take care of anything airborne - killing something like 90% or airborne virus within 10 minutes www.nukit222.com. Antiviral nasal and throat spray might help with the sneezing. And ofc hand washing, and disinfecting heavy touch surfaces like door knobs regularly.
sep 7, 2025, 11:05 pm • 0 0 • view
Breastfeeding, ventilation and air filters, and things like vaccine mandates all help. But I live in Florida, so the only thing I can influence is the first one. I have a friend in another state who was able to donate a high quality air filter to the daycare classroom
sep 8, 2025, 5:37 am • 0 0 • view
The reality is that when studies are done comparing kids that go to preschool vs those that don’t, the kids ultimately end up getting colds either as toddlers or in kindergarten. It’s gonna get them no matter what.
sep 7, 2025, 7:48 pm • 15 1 • view
My daughter went to a very small daycare from 3 months old because I worked. She rarely had colds and never missed a day of school due to illness. I attribute that to daycare.
sep 7, 2025, 8:51 pm • 0 0 • view
The very first time my niece went to the grocery store after the COVID cautions were released, she pulled off her mask and licked the handle of the grocery store refrigerator. It’s just what they do.
sep 7, 2025, 7:46 pm • 7 1 • view
Currently having the same problem with my 7 month old…
sep 7, 2025, 10:56 pm • 2 0 • view
Wash the hands of your kid as soon as they get home. Talk to your daycare to wash hands when kids get in. We had a teacher who made every kid wash hands as soon as they got in. She moved to a different class, and it felt like we had an immediate increase in colds.
sep 8, 2025, 1:51 am • 2 0 • view
Once they are sick- clorox wipes on common surfaces. We also have air filters in every room. Everyone is still sick regularly. If it's a stomach bug - deep clean bathroom and wear a mask after it subsides. In general, any cold results in new toothbrushes for the household, too.
sep 8, 2025, 1:52 am • 1 0 • view
Some viruses are really resilient on surfaces (for instance, hand foot and mouth). When the kid brought it home, we were very diligent about using a bleach spray on surfaces daily/washing hands/etc. (I did a ton of research on HFM!) So I now keep spare spray bottles (and bleach) to make my own.
sep 8, 2025, 2:16 am • 0 0 • view
my youngest was 4 when covid hit, so we were out of the infant/toddler phase by that point. i will say that we WAY overcorrected with her & germs & kinda made her a hypochondriac. she was/is good about masking & washing hands but won't let anyone lay on her bed unless they have showered.
sep 7, 2025, 7:46 pm • 3 0 • view
Word. I get sick from my kids and it’s rough. I am going heavy on the nasal sprays this season. Saline rinses (+xylitol if feeling fancy) + Profi a few times a day. The Profi is supposed to be an excellent protective spray. It’s not cheap and this is my first season trying it. Fingers crossed.
sep 7, 2025, 11:43 pm • 1 0 • view
Even simple saline nasal rinses 2-3x a day and gargling regular water a few times is supposed to help a lot with respiratory virus prevention.
sep 7, 2025, 11:44 pm • 1 0 • view
For us it was breastfeeding. Breastfeeding my baby was the best protection I could offer, also making sure I was keeping myself on the up and up with vitamins and essential minerals until baby was old enough to start taking toddler vitamins. Eating lots of fresh fruits/veggies, changing & showering–
sep 7, 2025, 10:22 pm • 2 0 • view
–the moment we got home. We also kept paper towels & a spray bottle of alcohol on us when we went out since I'm allergic to lysol wipes. Air filtration of course, sanitizing toys very regularly, not wearing outside shoes inside, and minimizing contact with strangers (only visiting the park when it–
sep 7, 2025, 10:22 pm • 1 0 • view
-is empty/sparsely occupied, doing outside activities instead of indoor ones, etc). And of course masking & washing hands & keeping floors cleaned to a stupid degree whilst the baby is young enough to be spending so much time on it. I hope you're able to find something that works for you!
sep 7, 2025, 10:22 pm • 1 0 • view
As someone without kids, yes. Yes, 100%, unequivocally true.
sep 8, 2025, 8:33 pm • 0 0 • view
Can we talk for a few minutes, something important I would like to know about you friend...
sep 7, 2025, 7:53 pm • 0 0 • view
Opening windows even a crack helps circulate clean air and prevent the spread of airborne pathogens. No other behavioral change required.
sep 7, 2025, 8:23 pm • 5 0 • view
Handwashing.
sep 8, 2025, 7:59 pm • 0 0 • view
Mine are teens now, but were in elementary school when Covid first hit. We started a routine of washing our hands as soon as we got in the house after school. It helped! It's really hard when they're in the "lick everything then give it to mom/dad" phase. 🫠
sep 7, 2025, 8:03 pm • 3 0 • view
There’s a good Facebook group called still coviding parenting edition that I’ve found very helpful! I have an almost four year old and to our knowledge he’s never had covid! We started teaching him to mask at 2, and we do most of our play with other kids outdoors!
sep 7, 2025, 10:19 pm • 4 1 • view
I was a sahm until he was 3 so we did have a huge leg up with that, but he’s been in daycare since February and we’re still doing okay! He usually starts the day in a mask there and we ask him/his teacher to keep it on as much as he can.
sep 7, 2025, 10:21 pm • 2 0 • view
One thing I found helpful while working with kids was just to be outside as much as possible. This introduces a new set of things for them to stick in their mouths so wet wipes are a must but sunlight and circulating air do a lot to reduce the toddler germs.
sep 7, 2025, 7:44 pm • 21 0 • view
My kid who did 2 years of forest school was only sick 1 time in that whole stretch!
sep 7, 2025, 8:55 pm • 3 0 • view
We always do something outdoors after school, even in the dark in the winter. But i'd really recommend pulling back on any co-sleeping the second you think they might be sick (if you do that and if your kid will sleep any other way). Family bed makes everyone sick simultaneously IME.
sep 8, 2025, 2:21 am • 0 0 • view
I wrote up what I've been doing with our kids, it's surprising how well this article has aged in 3 years. medium.com/@chris_jense...
sep 7, 2025, 9:59 pm • 3 0 • view
For babies, I remember seeing posts on twitter before I left of people who had used covers and air purifiers on their prams to ensure only filtered air got in (can't recall how they rigged it so CO2 got out)
sep 7, 2025, 10:00 pm • 4 0 • view
I see a lot of nasal spray suggestions but Xlear is I believe the only one approved for small children. Also we did baby neti pots with nasal syringes which are safe for babies (use distilled water ofc) if they let you (easier said than done)
sep 8, 2025, 8:55 pm • 0 0 • view
We have donated air purifiers everywhere they go—many in our house, in their classrooms, their afterschool activities. It helps.
sep 7, 2025, 8:03 pm • 10 0 • view
We were basically shut-ins for our kid’s first year. Gonna start acclimating them to masking on transit soon.
sep 7, 2025, 7:40 pm • 14 0 • view
Yes! In the link below, the Prevention section > Other COVID prevention tools has lots of broad info about air filtration. You can buy or make filters that truly make a difference. PC fan models are SUPER quiet. Keep in mind that what really matters is CADR: itsairborne.com/clean-air-de...
sep 7, 2025, 7:42 pm • 25 4 • view
Air filtration at home is great, but so is having them at school, at daycare, etc. Studies have shown up to a 50% reduction in illness for kids in filtered air spaces. 50! Percent! Parents have been successful in lobbying for schools to use donated filters while we fight for systemic change.
sep 7, 2025, 7:47 pm • 48 7 • view
1) ty for sharing these resources, 2) your username is so fckn snatch!!
sep 7, 2025, 8:00 pm • 3 0 • view
Back in 2020-21 I saw a lot of articles about how we were going to have cleaner indoor air in public places, from filtration to ultra short ultraviolet(I think) but that seems to have all been forgotten
sep 7, 2025, 11:47 pm • 5 0 • view
If we had actually done that we would be in a far better place. 😭😭😭
sep 8, 2025, 12:31 am • 3 0 • view
It looks like the air quality mitigations have already been discussed below, so I'll go with the meme answer.
sep 7, 2025, 9:45 pm • 2 0 • view
Systematic handwashing (e.g., when you leave and enter the house) helps break chain. Touch public surfaces like crosswalk buttons with an elbow or knuckle. Knuckle works on public touchscreens, elevator, etc. Cleaning doorknobs, faucets, etc. with soap during/after gastric illness.
sep 7, 2025, 8:22 pm • 3 0 • view
OK how do I make a baby do any of that.
sep 7, 2025, 8:23 pm • 4 0 • view
You wash their hands for them, for one thing (and wash main chewy toys when possible, yeah, I know, everything is a chewy toy...) Obviously it can't be perfect, but breaking the chain of transmission here and there helps a LOT. Doesn't have to be all or nothing.
sep 7, 2025, 8:29 pm • 8 0 • view
Is this something you have tried with a real baby? Because it doesn’t sound especially realistic.
sep 8, 2025, 1:01 pm • 0 0 • view
PSA: RUBBING ALCOHOL DOES NOT KILL NOROVIRUS. It does kill lots of other stuff. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also useless against noro.
sep 7, 2025, 8:25 pm • 0 0 • view
Avoiding crowded indoor spaces (pick zoo and botanical garden) and going with a nanny (individual or shared) over daycare. It’s worth it to me to keep off the crud carousel until kindergarten, when I’m more senior at my job and kid can sit with the TV and take more meds for symptoms. Pricy though :/
sep 7, 2025, 8:41 pm • 1 0 • view
Some places have forest/nature preschools too!
sep 7, 2025, 8:45 pm • 1 0 • view
a friend has gotten her preschooler and first grader to accept using iota-carrageenan nose spray, and swears it cuts down on how often they get sick
sep 8, 2025, 1:46 am • 3 0 • view
I did this with nasal cleaning (just saline on a swab) for after home. With handwashing & masks we avoided covid for 3 years. We finally got it last spring, but that was after everyone stopped masking except me. I wish we’d make masks normal again 🤬 it’s the most effective way to prevent spread.
sep 8, 2025, 8:03 pm • 2 0 • view
I have purchased a great many of Armbrust's kid-sized KN95's over the last five years: www.armbrustusa.com/collections/...
sep 7, 2025, 8:08 pm • 5 0 • view
These will be great when she’s bigger but I can’t put a mask on a seven month old.
sep 7, 2025, 8:12 pm • 6 0 • view
You’re pretty much looking at filtration and vaccinations for *her* For the adults around her, that, plus masks and nasal sprays (we use Profi but there are others)
sep 7, 2025, 8:19 pm • 4 0 • view
I count myself fortunate that my daughter was two when all of this started.
sep 7, 2025, 8:14 pm • 2 0 • view