As the Delta variant surges, and the timeline for vaccinating children under 12 remains uncertain, concerned parents are wondering how to keep students safe. But there are smart strategies for school children of all ages that can help protect them in the classroom.
In this Q&A, Roberto Posada, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in the Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and Professor of Infectious Diseases and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, shares the best ways to help keep kids safe from COVID-19.
Given the current concerns about COVID-19, should parents be worried about sending their kids back to school?
I think it’s important for kids to go back to school not only for their education, but also for socialization and healthy development. But it’s also important to take precautions to make sure they return to the classroom in a safe way. If in-person learning is done safely, the benefits will outweigh the risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared with adults. But kids can develop serious illness, especially those with underlying medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and asthma; those with certain genetic, neurologic, or metabolic conditions; or those with congenital heart disease. In general, the best way to protect children is to make sure adults in the household are vaccinated.
What advice can you give to worried parents about keeping their kids safe at school?
It’s important to continue the things we’ve been practicing for the last year and a half: The main thing is that children over the age of two should wear a mask when they go to school. Children should also be encouraged to wash their hands, either with soap and water or with alcohol-based sanitizer frequently. Children should be encouraged to practice respiratory etiquette, which means coughing or sneezing into their elbow and washing their hands after coughing or sneezing. And they should be taught to maintain a safe distance at all times.
In addition, parents shouldn’t send their kids to school if they have a fever, cough, abdominal pain, or any symptom whatsoever of an illness, including COVID-19.
How worried should people be right now about the increasing cases of COVID-19?
The number of COVID-19 cases has been going up for the last several weeks in the United States, mostly due to the Delta variant. Vaccination is very important. Every child aged 12 and older should be vaccinated. The vaccine is safe, and in some cases it fully protects against COVID-19; in some cases people who are vaccinated may still get COVID-19, but usually it’s a much milder disease.
Is there any guidance for older vaccinated kids that you would recommend to parents?
What I want to stress is that even people who are fully vaccinated should be wearing a mask whenever they’re inside, whether they’re in school, on public transportation, in a store, or anywhere indoors. That applies to adults, as well. The reason is that even people who are fully vaccinated may have breakthrough infections, and they can still pass on the infection to other people. So by wearing a mask—in addition to getting the vaccine—you’re helping decrease cases in your area, which is what we all want.
When do you think the vaccine will be available for children 11 and under?
The original timeline was for this to be available in the fall. So let’s hope that’s going to be the case.
Is there anything else people should know about keeping their kids safe from COVID-19?
Any parent who has a particular concern about their child due to a chronic medical condition medical condition should talk with their pediatrician to come up with an individualized plan.