School Safety Tips to Protect Children from COVID-19

Dr. Shu:

Coming to you from the ReachMD studios, this is COVID-19: On the Frontlines. I’m Dr. Jennifer Shu, and on this program, I’m going to be talking about children going to school amid the rise in COVID-19 cases and some precautions parents can take to help keep their child safe and healthy.

Most of the parents and children I’ve talked to are really excited to have students be in school in person, and that’s for all the benefits, both academically and socially. But many parents and kids have told me that they are worried that the kids might get infected and bring something home or get really sick themselves. They’re also concerned about the possible disruptions to the kids’ learning as well as to the families’ schedules if the kids have to quarantine for some period after being exposed to COVID-19.

I’m encouraging all eligible people to get vaccinated just to decrease the chance of kids getting infected, and we’re still recommending the usual precautions of masking, practicing good hand hygiene, increasing ventilation, whether that’s extra ventilation inside the school or holding as many activities outdoors as possible. We’re still recommending physical distancing by three to six feet, when able, as well as disinfecting surfaces that the students might touch.

Extracurricular activities are so important for kids, and I do encourage that they participate in them, as long as they can do it safely. So as much as possible, choose activities that are outdoors or well-spaced. And I’m really encouraging kids to wear masks for any indoor activities. They can also participate virtually in extracurricular activities, such as by taking music classes by FaceTime or by Zoom. And if you are sick, with any symptoms of a respiratory illness, for example, or if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, please don’t participate in person.

I really encourage our listeners to stay informed and be prepared to adapt as the situation around us changes and as we learn more about COVID-19.

For ReachMD, I’m Dr. Jennifer Shu. To access this and other episodes in our series, visit ReachMD.com/COVID19, where you can Be Part of the Knowledge. Thanks for listening.