Protecting Your Kids and Home During Covid-19 Crisis

The latest news on the spread and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shows clear seasonality with autumn rises and winter peaks in the Northern Hemisphere. Surveillance that emphasizes hospitalizations, emergency department visits, mortality, and wastewater trends indicates the burden is concentrated in older adults and people with underlying conditions, while overall activity remains well below 2020–2022 levels. See ongoing global variant tracking from WHO and regional updates from ECDC.

Although reported case counts are less reliable now due to reduced testing, several evidence-based patterns are consistent across recent seasons:

COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread mainly through the air; most infections are mild, but the risk of hospitalization and death is highest in older adults and in people with underlying medical conditions. See current CDC guidance on layered prevention: Respiratory Virus Guidance.
Infected children under 20 usually experience mild illness, yet can transmit the virus. Typical symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, headache, and fatigue; loss of taste/smell is now uncommon. CDC: Symptoms of COVID-19
Early in the pandemic, some reports (e.g., news analyses) highlighted severe illness in some younger adults. Current surveillance shows weekly hospitalization rates in adults ≥65 years are several-fold higher than in younger adults, while pediatric rates remain the lowest across age groups and peak well below adult rates. See CDC’s national dashboard and age-stratified hospitalization data (dashboard; COVID-NET).
The COVID-19 virus was shown early on to remain stable for hours in aerosols and on some surfaces; later investigations (including the “17 days” cruise-cabin finding) reflected RNA detection, not necessarily viable virus. Current guidance prioritizes clean air and routine cleaning, with targeted disinfection when someone is sick: CDC cleaning and disinfection.

Today’s public health guidance focuses on practical, layered steps: stay home when sick and return to normal activities after symptoms are improving and at least 24 hours after fever has resolved, then add 5 days of extra precautions (improve ventilation, practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, and consider masking around vulnerable people). Keep vaccinations current: CDC recommends the current seasonal COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ≥6 months; annual influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone ≥6 months; and infant RSV protection is provided via nirsevimab or maternal vaccination during pregnancy (CDC guidance). Routine childhood immunizations remain essential (CDC schedule).

Protect Your Kids

Children continue to have substantially lower risks of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than adults. Pediatric hospitalization rates are the lowest across age groups and typically peak in winter alongside influenza and RSV; within pediatrics, rates are highest in ages 0–4 years and lower in ages 5–17. Adults ≥65 years account for most COVID-19 admissions and have several-fold higher rates than younger adults. For current U.S. indicators, see CDC’s Respiratory Virus Dashboard and pediatric hospitalization trends in COVID-NET.

Kids are navigating seasonal waves of COVID-19 alongside flu and RSV. Help them focus on concrete steps: staying home when sick, clean indoor air, hand hygiene, and keeping vaccines up to date. For infants and children with underlying conditions (e.g., chronic lung disease, obesity, neurologic disorders, immunocompromise), discuss individualized precautions and early treatment options with your pediatrician.

How much should they know?

Tailor conversations to your child’s age. Younger children may just need to know when to stay home and how to wash hands; older children and teens often want specifics about how viruses spread, why schools emphasize ventilation, and how vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness. Emphasize that variants change over time—JN.1-descended lineages have predominated recently—and that public health updates come from trustworthy sources like CDC guidance, WHO variant tracking, and ECDC surveillance.

Katie Ziskind, a licensed marriage and family therapist and the owner of Wisdom Within Counseling in Connecticut, says, “When talking to children about a virus, it’s really important to use age-appropriate terms. You don’t want to cause a child to have more anxiety or more fear.” Try to answer their questions honestly and point them to age-appropriate resources (for example, kid-focused explainers).

On the topic of how to find the right words to discuss such a complex topic, Global Chief Academic Officer at Kïdo Schools, Thasin Rahim, notes, “There’s no need to use technical words like ‘pandemic,’ ‘epidemiology,’ etc. On the contrary, we should use a language (and resources) that children are able to understand easily, including drawings, stories, videos, etc.”

Parents should also remember that many children won’t know how to ask the right questions to help them understand what’s happening. Rahim says, “The idea is to explain it to them according to their capabilities, giving them the fundamental guidelines for taking care of themselves (and others), using a vocabulary that is easy for them to understand.”

The words you use to frame the pandemic can significantly impact how your kids feel about it. As an important final note, Rahim adds, “We should consider not highlighting that the virus comes from China, or that it is associated with certain types of people, and places, because we could end up with a confusing, potentially racist, wrong message about the matter.”

Lead by example

Model calm, practical habits. Improve indoor air by opening windows when safe, using HVAC correctly, upgrading to MERV-13 filters where compatible, and adding portable HEPA air cleaners sized for the room; simple CDC guidelines emphasize better ventilation and staying home when sick. A basic CO2 monitor can help identify poorly ventilated spaces. Teach and model frequent handwashing and respiratory etiquette.

Children should take extra care around people who are ill and around older adults or those with chronic conditions. Encourage seasonal precautions to help protect grandparents and medically vulnerable friends and family. Note: RSV vaccines are available for many older adults after discussion with their clinician, which can help protect newborns and infants in multigenerational homes.

When children do get sick, most experience mild, upper‑respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, headache, and fatigue; gastrointestinal symptoms can occur. CDC: symptoms. Long COVID does occur in children but is less common than in adults; population-based estimates in the Omicron/vaccinated era are generally in the low single digits at ≥12 weeks. Seek evaluation if symptoms such as persistent fatigue, exercise intolerance, headaches, or concentration difficulties last beyond expected recovery: CDC post-COVID conditions in children; WHO Q&A.

If your child is exhibiting respiratory symptoms, keep them home and follow stay‑home guidance. Once symptoms are improving and they have been fever‑free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine), they can return to normal activities while adding 5 days of extra precautions. Seek urgent care for emergency warning signs (e.g., trouble breathing, persistent chest pain, confusion, dehydration), and consult your pediatrician about testing or treatment if results would change care.

Protect Your Property

Early analyses called COVID-19 the worst public health outbreak in a century; today, seasonal waves persist but with far lower overall severity than 2020–2022. Focus on practical steps that safeguard the services and coverage you rely on most during respiratory virus season, including resilient connectivity, updated insurance, and clear family plans.

Equipment to work from home

Hybrid work has stabilized: roughly 28–30% of U.S. paid workdays are now done from home, and office occupancy in large metros averages about half of pre‑pandemic levels. Set up a dedicated space with solid ergonomics, good lighting/acoustics, and reliable connectivity so you can switch smoothly between home and office. Sources: WFH Research; Kastle Back to Work Barometer.

If you work on‑site or have irregular hours, give children your emergency contact information. During the emergency phase of the pandemic, some states designated “essential workers” differently; current supports vary by state and employer—check local policies rather than relying on past emergency designations listed on resources such as an “Essential Persons List.”

Necessary services and coverage for your home and family

Test your internet router to ensure it can handle multiple users; consider Wi‑Fi 6/6E or a mesh system and keep a hotspot for failover. The federal Affordable Connectivity Program stopped new enrollments in early 2024 and wound down as funds depleted, affecting home internet affordability for millions; ask providers about low‑income plans and community hotspot lending: FCC ACP. Review your homeowners insurance for equipment coverage and consider a home‑business endorsement if you work from home regularly.

If you don’t currently have dependable internet access, contact one of the major internet providers in your area. Early offers such as temporary free service (news coverage) were short‑term; current options depend on provider programs, schools, and libraries.

Review liability and specialty coverages. Since 2020, many property and business interruption policies have added communicable disease exclusions; courts have largely rejected BI claims absent explicit disease coverage. Event cancellation policies commonly exclude communicable disease unless a sublimited buy‑back is purchased. Check your policy language and endorsements. Sources: COVID Coverage Litigation Tracker; Howden Global Insurance Market Report 2025.

As a homeowner, the likelihood of getting sued by someone who claims they contracted COVID-19 after visiting your home remains low because plaintiffs face substantial causation hurdles. Many states enacted time‑limited liability shields during the emergency period; statutes and sunsets vary by state and may still affect claims arising during covered periods. Check current state statutes: NCSL liability overview. For workers’ compensation, most broad presumptions have expired, with some narrow presumptions retained for defined worker classes: NCCI tracker. Vaccines recommended by ACIP remain no‑cost in‑network for most insured people, and the CDC Bridge Access Program provides free COVID‑19 vaccines to uninsured adults through at least August 2025: KFF coverage explainer; CDC Bridge Access.

Auto insurance coverage and protection

During periods of disruption, rates of vandalism and theft can rise. Parents in dense areas: consider whether your usual parking spot is secure and whether to move your car to a safer location temporarily.

Review your car insurance policy to confirm comprehensive coverage for theft and vandalism. If you’re driving less due to hybrid schedules, ask your insurer about usage-based or mileage-adjusted options to reduce costs.

Sanitize and Stay Safe

The most important step families can take is to follow CDC’s unified respiratory virus guidance: stay home when sick until symptoms are improving and you’ve been fever‑free for 24 hours, then take added precautions for 5 days (better air, hand hygiene, and situational masking). Rather than asking everyone in a household to quarantine, the focus is on symptom‑based return and reducing risk to vulnerable people.

Deep clean your home

Routine disinfection isn’t necessary for most households. Clean regularly, and disinfect high‑touch areas when someone is sick or at higher risk. Early studies from labs (and investigations like the cruise‑ship cabin analysis) demonstrated RNA detection and environmental stability, but current guidance emphasizes air quality and targeted surface disinfection. See CDC cleaning/disinfection.

For disinfection, use EPA‑registered products and follow labels for surface, dilution, and contact time. If needed, you can use a fresh diluted bleach solution (~0.1% chlorine; for 5–6% household bleach this is about 1/3 cup per gallon of water) or 70% alcohol on compatible small surfaces. Ensure the surface stays wet for the full label contact time and never mix bleach with ammonia or acids. References: CDC; EPA List N; EPA safe use.

Don’t forget to include the following spaces and items in your deep clean:

Doorknobs and banisters
Floors
Countertops
Blankets and toys
Light switches and remotes
Toilets, sinks, and faucets

Fun indoor activities

Balance kids’ energy with seasonal respiratory virus waves. Encourage outdoor time or well‑ventilated indoor play, and keep children home when they’re sick. Adjust plans during local surges to protect vulnerable family members.

If you have access to a secluded outdoor area where your children can play independently, take advantage of that space. National parks and public spaces operate under current policies; earlier fee waivers reported in 2020 (news coverage) were temporary—check current information before visiting.

For kids, everything can be turned into a game. Set up a routine that supports schoolwork alongside play, and make daily tasks fun. Consider doing some of the following activities with your children during indoor days:

Play board games, card games, and puzzles
Have virtual story time and sleepovers
Complete involved arts and crafts projects
Write and produce a mini play or film
Begin studying a foreign language
Build a pillow fort or tree house

Best practices

Hand sanitizer remains useful when soap and water aren’t available. Choose alcohol‑based products with at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol and supervise young children. Avoid homemade formulations; they can be ineffective or unsafe. See CDC: hand sanitizer science and safe use.

What to use instead of DIY hand sanitizer

Alcohol‑based hand sanitizer (≥60% ethanol or ≥70% isopropanol)
Soap and water for at least 20 seconds whenever available (CDC: when and how to wash hands)
EPA‑registered disinfectants (or properly diluted bleach) for surfaces, not hands (EPA List N)

Steps for safer hand hygiene when soap and water aren’t available

Apply enough sanitizer to cover all hand surfaces, including between fingers and backs of hands.
Rub hands together for 20–30 seconds until completely dry; don’t wipe off early.
Supervise children’s use and store products out of reach.
Avoid non‑approved or homemade products; check labels for alcohol content and expiration. For some germs (e.g., norovirus), prefer thorough soap-and-water handwashing.
Prefer soap and water when hands are visibly dirty and after restroom use or diaper changes.

The Bottom Line

Expect seasonal increases in COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses in the fall and winter, with the greatest risk to older adults and those with underlying conditions. Families can reduce risk by staying home when sick, improving indoor air, practicing hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, and keeping up with vaccinations (current seasonal COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ≥6 months; annual flu vaccine for everyone ≥6 months; infant RSV protection via nirsevimab or maternal vaccination; and routine childhood immunizations).

While no one can predict the exact size of each seasonal wave, the overall burden remains far below early pandemic peaks. Children continue to have the lowest COVID‑19 hospitalization rates across age groups, and most pediatric illness is mild. Following CDC guidance and monitoring local indicators will help you adapt. The CDC offers a schools/childcare preparation checklist for parents (earlier resource) and publishes regular updates via its respiratory virus dashboard. If your family will travel, ensure measles protection is current; infants 6–11 months traveling internationally should receive an early MMR dose (CDC travel guidance). Staying informed—and using practical, layered precautions—remains essential to protecting your family.