Doctors in the UAE believe it is crucial that children are educated in basic hand-hygiene and social distancing before they return to schools this month.
Education authorities in Abu Dhabi have said children under the age of 12 will not be required to be tested for Covid-19 before they go back to classrooms on August 30.
Medics have reassured parents that relatively few children have been affected by the virus worldwide and said following key safety measures can further limit their risk of infection.
Dr Anuradha Ajesh, specialist paediatrician at Bareen International Hospital in MBZ City, Abu Dhabi, said she had only seen asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 among children in the UAE.
"The aim of Covid-19 testing is to reduce the rate of infection and worldwide relatively few children have contracted Covid-19. Children play a minor role in the spread of coronavirus.
"The virus usually spreads between adults and from adults to children, but the spread of Covid-19 from children to adults is less common. That is maybe one of the reasons why children under the age of 12 are not being tested for Covid-19 before they head back to school," said Dr Ajesh.
Dr Ajesh said many children who had Covid-19 were asymptomatic or had very mild symptoms.
In adults, the body's immune system starts attacking its own tissue, but this does not happen to children as they have immature immune systems.
Children need to be taught to wear masks properly and maintain physical distance
Crucial precautionary measures highlighted by the doctor were daily temperature checks and sanitisation at schools.
She also said the movement of pupils should be restricted and rather than children going from one class to another, teachers can move from class to class.
Dr Manoj Chandran, specialist paediatrician at Medcare Women and Children Hospital in Dubai, said that parents who were worried about the risks of sending their children to school could opt for distance learning, especially for young ones, unless their social development skills were being affected.
The Ministry of Education outlined this week that parents will have the option of continuing distance learning for the first term of the academic year.
"The cases are less severe in small children and it would be ideal if pupils were tested before heading to school. But, parents can choose to not send very young children to school. They can look at whether cases are decreasing and decide after a month," said Dr Chandran.
The doctor said parents should focus on their nutritional and emotional support, as well as teaching children the right strategies to prevent infection.
"Children need to be taught to wear masks properly and maintain physical distance. Also, teach your children to sanitise their hands after playing or interacting with friends," he said.
The doctor said children need proper nutrition so that their immunity is high and vitamin C supplementation will help.
After they come home from school, the children should take immediately take a bath and change their clothes, he added.
Dr Chandran allayed parent's fears and said he had not seen any paediatric covid-19 cases in the last two months.
While some parents were relieved their young ones would be spared Covid-19 testing before schools reopen, others said mandatory testing for all would ensure the schools remained free of the virus.
Suzanne Barker, a mother of two said a one-off test would only give the status on day one.
“I am relieved as we have been so careful about circulating that going for the test itself would have been the biggest risk we would have been exposed to in a long time," said Ms Barker.
“The schools and Adek (Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge) are doing a great job to structure things to minimise risk. We should all just continue to be sensible with our precautions and put our trust in those parties to keep the children safe.
Jennifer Bell, a British mum who has two children aged 11 and nine, also backed the decision to not implement mandatory testing for under 12s.
"I'm happy that children under 12 won't be tested now because these kinds of experiences can be scary for kids – seeing the people in hazmat suits and the procedure itself isn't nice," she said.
"I think if the adults in the home are tested this should suffice, unless the children become symptomatic."
Louise Holden, a 38-year-old British mother of three, two of whom attend school, said she was glad everyone is tested on arrival as travellers posed the biggest risk.
Her family had not travelled over the summer.
"I’m relieved children won’t be tested as it would be very distressing for my six-year-old and under four-year-old," said Ms Holden.
Some parents believe all pupils should be tested
Amna Mustafa, an Indian parent of two boys, Ali aged 11 and Rayaan aged nine, said it would be ideal if all pupils were tested before they went back to school.
"I do not know why they are testing one group of children but not the other," said Ms Mustafa.
She said that a pupil could be living with someone who has Covid-19, thus putting other children at risk.
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
