Commentary: No better time for kids to be outdoors than during a pandemic

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Parents worry about their children being susceptible to the COVID-19 virus because they are not vaccinated but getting dirty outdoors is the best balm to build up immunity says a paediatric specialist.

They have had to struggle with keeping their children masked, getting them to perform hand hygiene to protect them from infection while hearing about COVID-19 clusters forming in various sectors including schools and enrichment centres.

Getting dirty playing in the mud or sand and going outdoors in a pandemic may at first seem counterintuitive given the prevailing emphasis on hygiene and safe distancing, but this may in fact have unexpected benefits. Studies have also shown that spending time outdoors changes the balance of healthy and harmful bacteria in our bodies, which may boost our immunity, reduce risk of developing diseases like allergies and infections, as well as improve our mental health.

Thus, the current heightened emphasis on hygiene may disrupt this fine balance that has been established between humans and microbes over millennia, leading to poor or defective immune responses and potentially increasing the risks of developing other non-infectious diseases in time to come. The benefits of outdoor time go beyond the immune system. Studies around the world are now showing that increased online learning and screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic are causing rates of myopia in children to climb rapidly.

People who spend more time outdoors also report better health, feel happier and have lower stress levels. This is particularly pertinent as the prolonged pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of not just adults but also adolescents and children who have had to adjust to home-based learning and curtailment of social activities.

 

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哈哈哈😄,这让我想起“翻墙”的勇士!👍

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