There’s been an uptick in COVID-19 cases since America’s schools began reopening. Children are now 10% of all cases, although average symptom severity is low. We now know children age under ten can transmit the virus. Some adults are slow to adopt measures to limit spread. This begs the question should life styles change as schools reopen, for our kids?
Should Life Styles Change as Schools Reopen Especially for Teens
Teens have double the infection rate of younger children, according to AP News. School infections are increasing in parallel with adults as communities open up. College students exchange the virus at bars and parties.
Younger kids may be doing so at play dates, sleepovers, sports and other activities where precautions aren’t being taken. So says Dr. Leana Wen, a public health specialist at George Washington University. But should these life styles change as schools reopen?
‘I understand this is down to quarantine fatigue’, Dr. Leana Wen agrees. ‘People think if schools and workplaces reopen, so can the old way of doing things. But actually the opposite is true’.
Therefore We Need To Send the Right Message Out to Kids
We need be careful to send out the right message. Adults, as a group are hardly role models. It’s as important to allow our children to discover themselves, as it is to protect their safety and health.
President of American Academy of Pediatrics Dr. Sally Goza underscores the importance of masks, hand washing, social distancing and other precautions. This applies as much to children as it does to adults, especially preventing airborne spread.
Our children are watching how we behave as grown ups, as they always have. However, this time we are in a pandemic. Sure, we should ask our kids to take precautions as schools reopen. But we should be leading by example, and being consistent in what we do and say.
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Preview Image: Stay-at-Home Orders
