Talking to Kids About Coronavirus

怎样跟孩子谈论冠状病毒

 

With schools shutting down and the ways of daily life-changing, children are hearing more about the coronavirus. They may not fully understand it, or know how seriously to take it, but their lives are affected.

 

随着学校关闭和日常生活方式的改变，孩子们越来越多的听说冠状病毒。他们或许无法完全理解它或知道应该如何严肃地对待它，但是他们的生活的的确确受到了影响。

 

Many parents are trying to decide how to talk with their children about the virus and the outbreak. Some say they are checking in each day to see how their children are doing. But others worry that talking too much about it could make their children more nervous and fearful.

 

许多父母在想应该怎样跟自己的孩子谈这种病毒以及它的爆发。有些父母说，他们每天都在检查孩子的情况，但也有其他一些父母担心过多讨论病毒可能会使孩子们更加紧张和恐惧。

 

Nicole Poponi is the mother of 10-year-old Clara, and 12-year-old Jane. The family lives in Audubon, New Jersey. She said, “We talk about it a lot. I watch the news every morning, and they’re always watching it, too.”

 

妮可·波波尼是10岁的克拉拉和12岁的简的母亲。一家人住在新泽西州的奥杜邦。她说：“我们经常谈论它。我每天早上都看新闻，她们也一直跟我一起看。”

 

Both girls said they have talked about the virus at school. Jane said her teachers have discussed it during science lessons.

 

两个女孩都说她们在学校里讨论过这种病毒。简还说，她的老师在科学课上讨论过它。

 

“I’m not really as scared of it. It’s still not even that many people getting sick here,” Jane said. “One of my friends is really scared of it, but she’s honestly really scared of all diseases.”

 

简说：“我真的不怎么害怕它。这里甚至还没有多少人染病。我的一个朋友真的非常害怕，但老实说她其实真的非常害怕所有疾病。”

 

Beth Young said she has decided to limit the conversations with her four children. They are ages 8, 10,12, and 15. The family lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

 

贝丝·杨说，她已决定限制与四个孩子（就此问题）的谈话。他们的年龄分别为8、10、12和15岁。这一家人住在南卡罗来纳州的米尔堡。

 

She said she does not want them to be afraid of getting sick, because “kids get sick pretty often.” And she does not want them to worry about dying.

 

她说，她不希望他们会害怕生病，因为“孩子们经常生病”。同时，她也不希望他们担心死亡。

 

The new coronavirus causes a disease called COVID-19. For most people – including children – it results in only mild or moderate sickness, such as temperature and cough. For others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness – including pneumonia, which affects a person’s ability to breathe.

 

新冠状病毒会引起一种名为新冠肺炎的疾病。对于大多数人（包括儿童）来说，它只会导致轻度或中度的疾病，例如发烧和咳嗽。对于其他一些人，尤其是老年人和存在健康问题的人，它可能导致更严重的疾病，包括肺炎——一种会影响人的呼吸能力的疾病。

 

Most people recover. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that people with minor sickness recover in about two weeks. Those with a more serious case may take three to six weeks to recover.

 

大多数人会康复。世界卫生组织说，轻症患者大约两周后就会康复。那些情况较严重的人可能需要三到六周才能康复。

 

Child psychology experts advise parents and others to be calm and positive when discussing the issue with young people. They suggest centering discussions on active steps one can take. They also suggest doing research in order to answer children’s questions truthfully.

 

儿童心理学专家建议父母和其他人与年轻人讨论这个问题时要保持镇定和积极的态度。他们建议将话题集中在我们可以采取的积极措施上。他们还建议对病毒进行研究，以便如实回答孩子们的问题。

 

Dr. Jamie Howard is a psychologist at the nonprofit Child Mind Institute. She said it is important to reassure children, ask them if they have questions, and tell them how they can stay safe. The institute and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer suggestions on talking with children.

 

杰米·霍华德博士是非营利性组织“儿童心理研究所”的一位心理学家。她说，安抚孩子，询问他们是否有问题，并告诉他们如何保持自身安康非常重要。该研究所和美国疾病控制与预防中心建议与儿童进行交谈。

 

Some teachers and sports coaches are working to stop the idea that the virus is tied to any group or race. The new coronavirus first appeared in China. Some American adults are staying away from Chinese restaurants and businesses out of fear that they may get the virus.

 

一些老师和体育教练致力于阻止不当言论和想法，比如这种病毒与任何团队或种族相关。新冠状病毒首次在中国出现。一些美国成年人因担心感染这种病毒而远离中国餐馆和企业。

 

Seattle Public Schools in the state of Washington wrote on its website that misinformation has led to fear and anger. The school district’s leaders urged students to combat racism and bias.

 

华盛顿州的西雅图公立学校在其网站上写道，错误的信息已经引起了恐慌和愤怒。该学区的领导人敦促学生与种族主义和偏见作斗争。

 

“We are aware of reports that some of our Asian students have been targeted and discriminated against in connection to COVID-19,” the school leaders wrote. “This is unacceptable.”

 

学校领导写道：“我们知道有报告显示，我们的某些亚洲学生在与新冠肺炎相关的活动中遭到针对和歧视。而这是无法接受的。”

 

Parents should explain that measures such as wearing covers over your mouth and nose and closing schools are preventative and temporary, Dr. Howard said. She urges parents to follow what the television personality Mister Rogers used to say: look to the “helpers” – to see what doctors, teachers, parents and scientists are doing to keep them safe.

 

霍华德博士说，父母应该向孩子解释，戴口罩遮住口鼻和关闭学校等措施是预防性的和暂时的。她敦促父母们遵循电视名人罗杰斯先生曾经说过的话：向那些“助人者”看齐——看看医生、老师、父母和科学家在采取什么措施来保证生命安全。

 

I’m Ashley Thompson.

 

阿什利·汤普森报道。

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