The number of coronavirus cases has been rising since the pandemic struck the world. Along with these are several outcomes that came as a surprise to a lot of people.
Included in the list of believed consequences of the coronavirus is the increased incidents of children bitten by dogs. That is according to an article from the Journal of Pediatrics. The study was conducted by doctors from Children's Hospital in Colorado.
The increase in dog bite incidents
In the study by Dr. Cinnamon Dixon and Dr. Rakesh Mistry, they saw increased dog bite cases in the Children's Hospital to triple.
This data is compared to the data of the hospital at the same time last year.
Although dog bite cases are expected to increase during spring and summer, this year's rates are so much higher compared to last year.
Possible reasons in the surge of dog bite incidents
From social distancing protocols to wearing facemasks, and disinfecting belongings frequently, the coronavirus pandemic has indeed changed a lot in our lives.
Also, because of the coronavirus home quarantine, families had to stay at home most of the time.
According to doctors from the Children's Colorado, the home quarantines increased the dog-children exposure; this meant a higher possibility of a dog biting a child.
Also, health experts believe that as humans are stressed by the conditions brought by the coronavirus pandemic, dogs can pick-up this stress as well.
Besides, since parents are working at home, supervising the kids' exposure to dogs is not prioritized.
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Dog bite cases among children
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children are more likely to be bitten by dogs than adults.
Most of the time, children who are bitten by dogs have dogs in the family.
Children are more exposed to experiencing severe injuries compared to adults. Those children who are five years old to nine years old have the highest number of dog bite cases.
Also, doctors from the Children's Hospital in Colorado call for other organizations like healthcare providers, injury control experts, and public health professionals to continue educating the public about harm and prevention of dog bites.
How to prevent dog bite incidents
Health experts believe that dog bite incidents can be lessened if children are supervised well around dogs.
Parents should also teach their children that dogs bite when they are too excited, not feeling well, or are frightened. Thus, dogs should not be disturbed when they are eating or sleeping, avoiding dog bite cases.
