Sweaters: armor for kids against COVID-19?

Having your children wear sweaters this winter may help prevent them from catching the coronavirus. True, sweaters are hardly as important as the usual recommendations for avoiding infection (see below), but neither is it an old wives’ tale. Sweaters help offset some of the discomforts resulting from using scientifically-proven methods of preventing the virus.

1. Wearing sweaters indoors has gone out of style. Once upon a time, putting on a sweater (or two, if necessary) was the first step in keeping warm. Most sweaters were bulky and uncomfortable. However, wearing them did minimize the need for continually feeding coal or wood into the furnace, obviously, messy and labor-intensive.

2. Sweater wearing increases the number of days that windows can be kept open in cold weather. Open windows increase ventilation – the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Airflow helps rid indoor air of viruses and other pollutants. Nowadays, however, homes are designed with airtightness in mind. No air getting in is good for energy efficiency and for the family budget but bad for air quality.

3. Turning up the heat is the modern way to stay warm. Press a button or turn a switch and presto, you select the temperature you desire. This makes wearing sweaters no longer necessary – even though sweaters are now lightweight and comfortable, a simple and healthy way to stay warm.

4. Airtight homes, closed windows, and overheating are problematic. They dry out indoor air and lower humidity, creating conditions that allow airborne cold-causing viruses to travel farther and stay viable longer. Warm environments dry out nasal membranes. These membranes need moisture to effectively block viruses from taking root on the membranes, multiplying and causing infection.

5. Improving ventilation in your home in cold weather is relatively simple. Try micro-ventilation, opening windows three or four inches (seven or ten centimeters) in each room. This allows small amounts of fresh air into the room without excessively cooling the room. Weather permitting, open windows wider, especially when the room is not in use. If possible, set up cross ventilation (opening widows facing in opposite directions) and let a breeze circulate through the home. For windows that open from top and from bottom, open both. How do you compensate children (and adults) for feeling a bit chilly? With sweaters, of course.

6. Increasing indoor ventilation is only one part of reducing the COVID-19 risk, says the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For optimum protection, ventilation must be combined with mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, and surface disinfecting. Before visiting friends/family, or sending children on playdates, ask (politely) whether the home is hot, stuffy and crowded, or if is it cool and your child will need a sweater. Also, check daycare, schools, houses of worship or other places your children may go. Another way to improve air quality in a confined area is by reducing capacity – for example, by your family members not going there.

7. Use fans. Placing fans in front of windows helps increase indoor ventilation and clear the air of COVID-19 viruses. However, do not rely on fans as the sole method of protection, says EPA. Fans ventilate by either blowing fresh air into rooms or sending stale air out. Consider placing fans in each of two windows, even if the windows are in different rooms, with the door(s) open. One fan blows inward, the other outward, creating a form of cross ventilation. In crowded rooms, on the possibility that someone is infected with the virus, avoid placing fans so that air blows from some individuals onto others. When using fans, remember child-appropriate safety considerations.

8. Keep indoor humidity between 40 and 60%. This provides personal comfort, helps minimize the spread of airborne viruses, and helps keep allergy-causing molds in check. Hygrometers, which measure humidity, are readily available on the web. Humidity can be lowered by opening windows and allowing more dry winter air in. Humidity can be increased by placing pans of water on or near sources of heat. Humidity can also be controlled with room humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

9. Don’t treat drafts as nuisances. While annoying for most people, drafts can be a blessing in disguise because they allow some fresh air in. (Sweaters, anyone?) No need to cover room air conditioners because some air is leaking through. Ditto for repairing poorly fitting windows or doors, or fixing chimneys. Running bathroom and kitchen exhausts are also somewhat helpful by expelling room air.

10. The best “ventilation” available is at your doorstep, free. It’s called “the outdoors,” with fresh air aplenty making it an unlikely place to catch airborne diseases. Don’t let cold weather keep kids indoors, often crowded together with other kids. Winter weather permitting, use the outdoors for playdates or for kids to run around, snow notwithstanding. Dress kids accordingly. (Again, sweaters.) Blame the English language for suggesting that “cold” as in “weather” is why one “catches colds.” Weather does not increase susceptibility, or prolong or worsen colds. A runny nose after playing outside in cold weather is not necessarily a sign of a cold. Exposure to cold air in itself can cause nasal congestion.

For your information. A study at Brown University shows that the likeliest way to avoid spreading the COVID-19 virus in a moving car is by keeping all the windows open. The worst situation? Driving with all car windows shut and the heat or air conditioning on. The best situation? Open windows and wearing sweaters.

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