What The Experts Are Saying Regarding COVID-19 And Going Back to School
COVID-19 has caused much debate over whether children should go back to school physically rather than attend distanced learning. Parents and teachers all over America question the safety of in person learning. Media headlines are adding to the confusion reporting that “Children may carry Coronavirus at high levels, but the study in question does not prove infected children are contagious?”
It’s enough to make your eyes cross, pull your hair out of your head and possibly scream. You want to do the best for your child. You want to give your patients and families the best advice that you possibly can. But under these circumstances, what do you do?
Kids Get Sick … A Lot!
I’ve been a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner since 2005, and a Pediatric Nurse since 1996, and there is one thing that I have learned over the years, “Kids get sick…A Lot!” During the school year, I hear the same complaints over and over again, “Why is my child always sick?” A study found that children have a median incidence of 14 respiratory infections per year with each infection lasting a minimum of 6 days. The study also reported a median 94 days of infection within the first 3 years of life. For the most part, kids getting sick is a ‘normal’ thing to expect during childhood, especially while they are attending school.
Yes, COVID is not your typical upper respiratory infection. And there is much that we do not know about this type of virus. Health professionals, parents and teachers should be discerning while reading media headlines that may cause more fear than give credible advice.
JAMMA recently published a study that found children carried more Coronavirus in their nasal pharynx than adults. This caused a media frenzy with headlines stating, “Children may carry Coronavirus at high levels.” The study has been scrutinized by various healthcare professionals as being too small, it’s a qualitative study rather than a quantitative study, and their substantial technical issues were found in the report. Authors of the study state that this study was not meant to be definitive, but to be used as a basis for more research studies.
A German study that tested 2000 school children and teachers found that very few of them showed antibodies to COVID-19. The study suggests that schools may not play a big role in spreading the virus. This led to the reopening of German schools.
What Does The CDC And The APA Have To Say About Kids Going Back To In Person Classes In America?
The CDC states that the best available evidence indicates that if children become infected with COVID-19, they are far less likely to suffer severe symptoms. Death rates among children are lower than those for adults. Furthermore, the CDC states that a child’s school has great benefit to their health and well-being, and provides the following:
- educational instruction
- supports the development of social and emotional skills;
- creates a safe environment for learning;
- addresses nutritional needs;
- facilitates physical activity.
The American Academy Of Pediatrics strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruptions of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality.
The APA outlines various guidelines recommended for schools and policy makers that further ensure the safety of both students and teachers. Some of these include socially distanced seating arrangements in the classroom, such as desks being 3 to 6 feet apart, smaller classroom sizes, and the wearing of masks to diminish hand to mouth contact as well as handwashing instructions.
What The Experts On The Frontlines Recommend
“One parent’s safety is another parent’s sure-death! “states Dr. Debra Gambrell, Pediatric Anesthesiologist, Integrative Medicine Practitioner and mother of 4 school age children. “There hasn’t been one strategy whereby most people feel safe. The extremes feel unsafe anywhere in terms of the virus, or unsafe questioning the narrative for fear of bullying (even when they quote actual large numerical errors found within the science), or unsafe due to mental, emotional, and physical abuse at home, not to mention a very unsure future. A sense of safety along with a lack of fear, if cultivated in a rational way by the school admins, can go a long way to getting kids in school and parents off the ledge of “sure-doom.” Patience, gratitude, grace, kindness, and true tolerance (and not accepting this new bully culture) are ways to support these unsure times.”
“School nurses were at the front line of COVID-19 before stay at home orders were put in place,” states Gloria E. Barrera MSN, RN, PEL-CSN certified school nurse in Illinois. “Our role in response to the initial outbreak in the U.S. was one of surveillance of students and staff for symptoms of the disease. We will be the front line once again when this school year begins. We are charged with maintaining the health of the entire school community, and we’re experienced in planning and providing care for students with complex healthcare needs, but we know this year is going to be different. I strongly support a decision-making process for a safer return to in-person learning that is based on accurate public health data at the national, state and local levels. The safety of students and staff must take priority in this decision-making. A safer return to schools, one in which students, families and staff will feel confident, requires that prior to a return to in-person learning, schools develop and implement infectious disease readiness and emergency management procedures for students and staff based on current public health guidance and in which sufficient funding is allocated for the implementation of sanitation and safety protocols, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and the hiring/retention of school nurses to coordinate health and safety procedures.”
It’s important for parents, teachers, school administrators and healthcare professionals to take extra precautions to ensure that all children attending live in person classes remain as safe as possible. It’s also important for children to attend school and enjoy their learning experience without added anxiety and fear. Children’s mental and physical health develop better when they are learning and playing with other children. The best advice for parents is to focus on their child’s health and not read into media headlines that may be erroneous or confusing. Always consult a healthcare provider or your child’s school nurse for any healthcare related guidelines regarding COVID-19.
References
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/health/coronavirus-children.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-07-13/german-study-shows-low-coronavirus-infection-rate-in-schools
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2768952
https://www.aappublications.org/news/2020/07/10/schoolreentrysafety071020
https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html
