 This book is entitled a kid's book about COVID-19 written by Maliah Jones the dedication reads for my boys Owen and Desmond The best teachers I've ever had The world is now facing a difficult and unprecedented time With lots of uncertainty about what to do The author has a pretty good understanding About epidemics and how diseases are spread But people across the world are feeling uncertain and vulnerable They feel scared Many adults feel scared as well. Hi My name is Maliah Jones, and I'm a social epidemiologist That means that I'm a scientist Who studies how human diseases are spread this book is entitled a kid's book about COVID-19 Do you know what COVID-19 stands for? It gets its name from coronavirus the co from corona the vi from virus the D from disease Which forms the word? COVID and the number 19 comes from the year it first surfaced by now You've definitely heard about COVID-19 Or maybe it's more common name the coronavirus Because everyone is talking about it all the time It has now been declared a pandemic Which means it is a disease. It's rapidly spread across the world Maybe your school is closed Sports or events might be canceled Grown-ups like your teachers coaches counselors your parents They might be a little scared. They're uncertain what to do It's okay to feel scared. It's normal Seems like everyone in the entire world is thinking about one thing coronavirus So I'm here to tell you About the coronavirus What it is and what it isn't COVID-19 Is a new disease that people have never had before it's never existed in the history of the world until now COVID-19 is caused by a virus Which is under the group of coronaviruses That also includes SARS each one in one and others a Virus is not something you can see COVID-19 is very very tiny. It can only be seen under a microscope It can get inside your body and multiply Making lots of copies of itself and spreading in your body and it can make you very sick You've definitely had a virus before Like a cold sore throat the flu The coronavirus can cause things like a fever a cough a stuffy or runny nose Fatigue or a headache Some people get COVID-19 and they don't even know it. They don't even realize they're sick. They feel normal There's another group of people They get it and maybe just feel a little run down with a cough or a headache or a little weak, but they can keep going Whereas another group of people become very seriously ill They're weak with a serious cough and a fever and they can't recover They're unable to take care of it themselves and may have to go to the hospital Some of those people become even worse and may die Lucky for you Kids don't usually get very sick when they get the coronavirus But you can still give it to other people you may feel fine, but you might actually be a carrier for it You may have heard that the coronavirus is just like the flu Similar to other illnesses, but it's not it's different. It is not like the flu This is really different. It's not like the flu In the past if you were sick With a cough or sore throat or upset stomach the doctor would be able to give you medication Or send you home for rest But with COVID-19 doctors don't know how to treat it. There's no medication or vaccination for it as of yet But Doctors are still working on it looking for a solution This is new There's no vaccine for COVID-19 There are several viruses out there that already have vaccinations But for COVID-19 we don't yet have one Doctors and scientists are still working very hard on that COVID-19 Is spreading fast And people are easily infected It's not like a typical seasonal cough or cold or stomach upset It is far more dangerous People can become very ill And some people even die from COVID-19 Those who are older Or maybe have a weakened immune system Are more likely To have a serious infection There's still a lot we don't know about coronavirus Scientists are learning and studying Every day and learning something new about it So much is unknown But what we do know for sure Is how you can get it which is through snot When someone coughs or sneezes and snot and spit flies out of their nose It's like an atomic bomb of germs You can't see germs They're so small you can't see them Some germs are viruses Others are bacteria Which means you need medication to combat them Germs can live on all kinds of surfaces for several days For example, doorknobs Phones iPads Pencils Tables Even a sandwich Sometimes if you borrow your friend's phone And start using it if there's viruses on that phone And you touch it you may then rub your eye And then that leads to an infection Or maybe you eat a sandwich that has virus particles on it Then you swallow that bite of sandwich and it gets into your body Or maybe while chatting with a friend Your friend coughs or sneezes and you breathe in some of those bits of snot you can become infected Yes It is disgusting Scientists call that droplet transmission That can occur through sneezing or coughing Little snot particles can get out in the air and spread the virus between people It's disgusting I know this seems scary And you might want to panic or worry Feel nervous That's okay many grown-ups feel the same way your parents teachers coaches counselors doctors But You know what you can do to help Don't pick your nose And keep your hands out of your mouth Even if your fingers Look clean and don't appear dirty The virus could still be there because you can't see it You should try to keep your hands out of your nose and mouth whether it be picking your nose sucking your thumb biting your nails If you insist on picking your nose even after a scientist told you you can't do it Make sure you wash your hands first It's been so important to have clean hands And you should wash your hands for 20 seconds And if you don't have a watch you can count to 20 in your head While washing your hands vigorously Use soap and work up a good lather Then you can go ahead and eat with clean hands cocoon Which means to remain in your home some of you may live in a house or an apartment That means to stay there to not go out or play with friends Or be in large groups Means to remain in your home If you have to go to the store with your mom or dad take a short trip, but otherwise remain home Because scientists are unable to test everyone because of how quickly the coronavirus is spreading They're still searching for a vaccination So it's so important that you stay home That's why doctors and scientists encourage you to maintain social distancing Which means avoiding close contact with others It's possible that others don't know they have it and could spread it to you Or you yourself may have it and unknowingly spread it to others It's important to cocoon at home and remain there It's okay to go outside But be careful and don't play With friends Are you worried that you could spread coronavirus to grown-ups in your life? Maybe teachers your parents coaches your friends Don't worry. It's not your fault if that happens. It's not your job to figure out who has it Scientists are working very hard as fast as they can They're doing their best Your job And most important responsibility Is to be a kid Things you can do to help others are simple things Like washing your hands vigorously with soap and water And not picking your nose Also cocoon for a while Cocoon for a while Stay in your home. Don't go out to play with friends or neighbors But to remain at home We all need to work together and I know you can If we work together Fewer people will get sick And fewer people will be in danger If we continue to work together Scientists will have more time To be able to study the disease To find the best medication or vaccination to prevent it They'll be able to come up with new treatment plans To help people recover COVID-19 Is dangerous And it's important that everyone Collectively does their part All of us have to work together To help stop COVID-19 in its tracks Everyone needs to help remind one another about good hand washing Sanitation Using a mask and social distancing All of that will allow people to stay healthy and stay safe too