The coronavirus has impacted millions nationwide.
One of the biggest areas impacted is school systems which has created a new routine for children.
With constant news and easy access to the internet, Elmore County Public Schools is encouraging parents to get ahead of it and talk to their children.
"I do recommend parents speak with their children about the coronavirus so they have facts," Emilie Johnson, assistant principal of Elmore County Technical Center and counseling coordinator for Elmore County Public Schools, said.
She said the approach parents should take depends on the child.
"They have already seen and heard so much at school and on television," she said. "Every child is different and parents know their children better than anyone else. Talk to them on a level that they will understand."
She recommends the message is specific to a child's age.
"I have a six-year-old and a 10-year-old," she said. "My conversations are different because my older child is better able to understand what is going on than my younger child."
She and Elmore County Public Schools urge parents to only use reliable information sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Alabama Department of Public Health.
"Make sure the information you give children is factual, but not scary," she said. "They need to be reassured that we are staying home out of precaution for the health of others who may have weaker immune systems and to lessen the number of people who get sick."
The school system requested of its parents to practice social distancing by staying at home and practicing good hand washing.
Elmore County Public Schools superintendent released information yesterday that a teacher in the system tested positive for COVID-19.
He informed parents to email Elmore County Schools lead nurse Suzanne Ragan at suzanne.ragan@elmoreco.com if anyone in their homes produces a positive test result for the virus.
