The Central Disease Control Headquarters on April 29 held a briefing on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for children, explaining things in a way children can understand. The picture above was drawn by Kim Chae-rin, 7, who won on April 27 the excellence award in a children's drawing contest to overcome COVID-19 hosted by the city government of Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Province. (Yongin City Hall)

By Song Baleun and Lee Jihae

"Can't we have birthday parties with our friends?"

This question was asked by children on April 29 to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) amid the role of social distancing in stemming the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong, Dr. Kim Yae-jean, a professor of pediatrics at Sungkyunkwan University's School of Medicine and a practicing doctor at Samsung Medical Center, and pediatrics professor Dr. Choi Eun-hwa of Seoul National University's College of Medicine held a briefing for children on the pandemic. They answered 12 questions they received before the briefing and four questions they got in real time.

"It's sad that you cannot go to school, meet friends, congratulate them on their birthdays or invite them to your birthday," Kim said. "For a while, I think you can sing them 'Happy Birthday' or have birthday parties via video." 

She suggested "a new criteria, a new normal" for children's birthday parties.

Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jeong Eun-kyeong on April 29 holds an online briefing on COVID-19 for children at KCDC headquarters in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province.

Questions about the new normal were not limited to birthday parties. Choi responded to questions from a child who entered elementary school this year on what precautions to take at school.

"I think life in the first grade will be greatly different from that of the past. You'll have to wash your hands often and get in the habit of covering your mouth when you cough," the professor said. 

She emphasized that parents must help their children develop in school the habits they need to prevent infection.

This briefing had a warmer atmosphere than previous regular briefings, and the questions reflected the children's imagination.

To the question "Can I be friends with someone who's had COVID-19," KCDC Director Jeong responded, "A health center or a hospital discharged a child because it was confirmed that he or she was no longer infectious. So please don't make fun of or ostracize the child, and instead warmly greet him or her."