Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

How the coronavirus is straining kids’ mental health | Coronavirus Newsletter

Plus, what Pa., and N.J., need more of to curb the spread of COVID-19

With kids lives disputed due to school closures, it’s important for parents to make them feel like they can talk about their emotions safely at home, experts say.
With kids lives disputed due to school closures, it’s important for parents to make them feel like they can talk about their emotions safely at home, experts say.Read moreGetty Images

TL;DR: Contact tracing, the medical detective work to identify who has COVID-19 and whom they may have exposed, and then telling all those people to self-isolate, can curb the spread of the coronavirus. But Pennsylvania and New Jersey do not have enough people doing this important work. New research shows that one in five children in China showed depressive symptoms after their lives were disrupted by the coronavirus quarantine. My colleague Bethany Ao writes how parents can help their kids.

— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know

📓 Pennsylvania state universities are freezing tuition and planning for an uncertain fall.

⚾ The Phillies will refund your money for April and May games

🐶 Could scent-detection dogs help screen humans for the coronavirus? A new Penn study is aiming to find out.

🌳 Chester County will start opening its county parks next week and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says golf courses and state and county parks can reopen Saturday.

🏥 Philadelphia-area hospitals are beginning to plan for resuming elective surgeries, but they are still far from getting “back to normal.”

👐 Far-right trolls are spamming Pennsylvania’s form to report social-distancing violators.

Local coronavirus cases

📈As of Wednesday evening, there are hundreds of reported cases in the Philadelphia area. Track the spread here.

  1. PHILADELPHIA: 13,803 confirmed cases

  2. SUBURBAN PA: 11,833 confirmed cases

  3. SOUTH JERSEY: 8,916 confirmed cases

Pennsylvania, New Jersey need far more contact tracers to handle the coronavirus

Contact tracing is like medical detective work: Officials identifying the people who have COVID-19, determine where they had gone in recent days, alert their contacts that they may have been exposed, and tell everyone to self-isolate to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. But Pennsylvania and New Jersey both need more people doing this critical work before either state can return to normalcy. Pennsylvania employs 160 staffers (or 1.2 per 100,000 residents), and New Jersey has 300 (or 3.5 per every 100,000 residents) with plans to hire 10 additional staff. Read more here.

How the coronavirus is straining kids’ mental health

One in five children in the Hubei province, where the coronavirus emerged, reported symptoms of depression after their schools had been closed for a month. This was similar for anxiety symptoms too, showing that the impact of the pandemic can seriously strain the mental health of children, according to new research. In the Philadelphia area, where the pandemic’s impact is still unfolding, psychologists say some kids will emerge with resiliency, while others will experience post-traumatic stress. If you’re worried about how the prolonged shutdown could be affecting your child’s mental health, then read this story from my colleague Bethany Ao about how parents can help.

Helpful resources

  1. How to get stuff done in Philadelphia during the coronavirus pandemic: Here is a list of how to do anything from getting your car fixed to going to the vet to hiking safely.

  2. What are the first symptoms of the coronavirus? Pink eye is also a possible early warning sign of coronavirus, eye doctors report.

  3. Here are 8 principles of social distancing to help figure out what you can and can’t do.

  4. Not sure what a medical term means? We have definitions for you.

  5. Have another question? Our reporters have tracked down answers.

You got this: Clean properly and safely

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a guide to help people properly clean their business, schools, and homes. My colleague Frank Kummer wrote a breakdown of the full nine-page guide, including tips on general cleaning, reducing your exposure, children, and the outdoors. Check it out here.

🏕️ Can I go camping in Pennsylvania during the coronavirus?

🍹 Cocktails to go may be coming to Pennsylvania.

🍽️ Destination restaurants are getting back into the game with takeout and delivery.

Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter.

What we’re paying attention to

  1. The Atlantic published a guide to why the coronavirus is co confusing.

  2. We may think of COVID-19 as a respiratory illness, but it damages more than just our lungs. The New Yorker writes about how there is still so much we don’t know about the coronavirus.

  3. Philly’s bodegas are struggling to stay stocked and open during the pandemic, WHYY reports.

Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here.