Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep228: Flu and other wintertime illnesses!

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Ep228: Flu and other wintertime illnesses! · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats. Daily starts yours.
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  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today we're talking about something that shows up every
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  year when it gets cold outside. Winter time flu and illnesses
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  around the world. So grab your warm socks and
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  settle in because we're going to explore what happens when the
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  temperature drops and germs get busy.
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  Let's start with the basics. What is the flu?
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  The flu is short for influenza, and it's a sickness caused by a
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  virus. A virus is a tiny germ that's so
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  small you can't see it without a microscope.
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  The flu virus likes to spread from person to person,
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  especially when people are close together, like in schools,
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  buses, or at home with family. When someone with the flu coughs
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  or sneezes, tiny drops with the virus float in the air.
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  If you breathe them in or touch a surface with the virus and
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  then touch your mouth, nose or eyes, you can catch the flu.
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  Why does the flu show up more in winter?
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  Scientists think it's because people spend more time indoors
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  when it's cold. This means germs can spread more
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  easily because we're closer together.
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  Also, the flu virus survives better in cold, dry air, which
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  is common in winter. So the cold weather outside is
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  actually helping the virus stick around.
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  Did you know that the flu isn't the only illness that shows up
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  more in winter? There are other sicknesses too,
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  like the common cold, strep throat, and even some tummy
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  bugs. The common cold is caused by
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  different viruses and it also spreads easily in winter for the
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  same reasons as the flu. Strep throat is caused by
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  bacteria, which are another type of germ.
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  These germs also like to hang out where lots of people are
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  gathered indoors. Now, let's take a quick trip
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  around the world. In North America, Europe and
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  parts of Asia, winter usually means colder temperatures and
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  more cases of the flu and colds. In these places, flu season
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  usually starts in the late fall and lasts through the winter.
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  Schools and hospitals get ready by encouraging people to wash
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  their hands often and to cover their mouths when they cough or
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  sneeze. But what about countries where
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  it's not cold in December, like Australia or Brazil?
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  In the southern half of the world, the seasons are flipped.
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  When it's winter in the United States, it's summer in
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  Australia, so their flu season usually happens during their own
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  winter, which is from June to August.
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  This means that at any time of year, somewhere in the world,
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  people are dealing with flu season.
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  Here's a fun fact, the flu virus changes a little bit every year.
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  This is why scientists work hard to make a new flu vaccine each
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  year. The flu vaccine is a shot or
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  sometimes a spray that helps your body fight the flu virus if
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  you come into contact with it. Doctors and nurses recommend
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  getting the flu vaccine every year year, especially before flu
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  season starts. Did you know that people have
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  been getting the flu for hundreds of years?
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  In the past, before there were vaccines and modern medicine,
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  the flu could make lots of people very sick.
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  Today, thanks to doctors, nurses, and scientists, we know
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  how to protect ourselves much better.
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  Let's talk about symptoms. How do you know if you have the
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  flu? The flu can make you feel tired,
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  give you a fever, make your throat sore, and cause aches in
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  your muscles. Sometimes you might have a
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  cough, headache, or feel chilly even when you're wrapped in a
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  blanket. The flu can make you feel pretty
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  lousy, but most healthy kids get better after a few days of rest,
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  drinking fluids, and taking it easy.
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  The common cold is a little different.
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  It usually comes with a runny nose, sneezing, and sometimes a
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  cough. You might feel tired, but you
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  usually don't get as high a fever as with the flu.
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  Colds are annoying, but they usually go away on their own.
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  Let's talk about how germs spread.
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  Germs, like viruses and bacteria, can travel in tiny
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  droplets When someone coughs or sneezes.
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  These droplets can land on surfaces like desks, door knobs,
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  or even your tablet or phone. If you touch a surface with
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  germs and then touch your face, the germs can get into your body
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  and make you sick. This is why washing your hands
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  is so important. Soap and water wash away the
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  germs before they can make you sick.
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  Doctors say you should wash your hands for about 20 seconds,
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  which is as long as singing the happy birthday song twice.
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  If you don't have soap and water, hand sanitizer can help
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  too. Here's another interesting fact.
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  Not everyone gets sick in the same way.
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  Some people might catch the flu and only feel a little tired,
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  while others get a high fever and need to stay in bed.
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  Some people, like grandparents or babies, can get sicker than
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  older kids or healthy adults. That's why it's important to
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  protect yourself and others by washing hands, covering coughs
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  and staying home if you're feeling sick.
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  Let's look at what happens in schools during flu season.
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  Many schools remind students to wash hands often and to use
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  tissues when they sneeze. Some schools even set up special
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  cleaning routines to wipe down desks, door handles and
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  bathrooms more often. In some places, if lots of
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  students get sick, schools might close for a few days to stop the
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  germs from spreading. Have you ever heard of a flu
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  outbreak? An outbreak is when a lot of
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  people in one place get sick with the same illness at the
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  same time. Every year, there are flu
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  outbreaks in different cities or even entire countries.
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  Doctors keep track of how many people get sick so they can help
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  stop the outbreak and protect people who might get very sick.
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  Now, let's visit a few different countries to see how people
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  handle winter illnesses. In Japan, it's common for people
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  to wear face masks during flu season.
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  This helps stop germs from spreading when people cough or
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  sneeze. In Canada and Northern Europe,
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  people bundle up in warm clothes and drink hot drinks like tea or
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  cocoa, which helps them stay comfortable when they're sick.
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  In some countries, there are special traditions for staying
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  healthy in winter. In parts of Russia, people take
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  saunas to warm up and help their bodies relax.
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  In India, families might use spices like ginger and turmeric
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  in their food, which they believe can help keep them
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  healthy. Did you know that animals can
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  get the flu to Birds, pigs, and even some pets can catch their
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  own kinds of flu viruses. Scientists study these animal
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  flus to learn more about how the virus works and how to stop it
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  from spreading to people. Let's talk about how doctors and
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  scientists fight the flu. Every year, researchers look at
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  how the flu virus is changing. They collect samples from people
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  all over the world and use this information to make the flu
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  vaccine. The vaccine helps your body
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  recognize the virus and fight it off more quickly if you get
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  exposed. Hospitals and clinics get ready
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  for flu season by making sure they have enough medicine and
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  supplies. Doctors give advice to families
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  about how to stay healthy, like getting enough sleep, eating
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  healthy foods and washing hands. Here's a did you know moment.
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  Some people think you can catch the flu by being cold or getting
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  wet in the rain, but that's not true.
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  You get the flu from germs, not from being chilly or having wet
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  clothes. Still, it's a good idea to stay
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  warm and dry so your body can stay strong and healthy.
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  What can you do to stay healthy during flu season?
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  Here are some simple tips. Wash your hands often,
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  especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
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  Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when you
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  cough or sneeze. Try not to touch your face,
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  especially your eyes, nose and mouth.
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  Stay home if you feel sick so you don't spread germs to
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  others. Get plenty of sleep and eat
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  healthy foods to help your body stay strong.
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  If your family doctor recommends it, get the flu vaccine before
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  flu season starts. Let's recap what we learned
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  today. The flu is a sickness caused by
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  a virus that spreads more easily in winter, especially when
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  people are close together indoors.
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  The flu isn't the only illness that shows up in winter.
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  Colds and other germs do, too. People around the world have
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  different ways to stay healthy during flu season, like wearing
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  masks, cleaning hands and making special foods.
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  Scientists study the flu virus every year to make vaccines and
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  keep us safe. You can help by washing your
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  hands, covering your cough, and staying home if you're sick.
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  Thanks for joining us on Kit Cast Daily.
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  We hope you learn something new about winter time flu and
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  illnesses around the world. Stay curious, stay healthy, and
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  we'll see you next time. For more news, trivia, and fun
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  facts just for you, grab. Your breakfast feeling fine,
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  adventures waiting Don't be late, today's the day we.