Child COVID-19 Cases Are On The Rise. Here's What Parents Should Know

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Throughout the pandemic, many parents believed there was one little piece of relief they could rely on: that children were somewhat “immune” to COVID-19. It was one of the first pieces of data about the virus that researchers found rather remarkable: children just didn’t seem to be getting the thing, or at least not nearly as much as adults. Nature.com confirmed this information, reporting that infection and death due to COVID-19 is very rare among children and of the very small number who do die, preexisting conditions are a factor. Nature.com’s report states that only about two in every one million deaths in children under the age of 18 are due to COVID-19. They do note that Black children, if infected, are more likely to require intensive care for COVID-19 and for an associated condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome. But even then, the numbers are miniscule.

This information might have made parents feel pretty free to let their kids lead normal (or as normal as possible) lives during the pandemic. But, with schools opening back up, experts warn that this apparent immunity kids have against the virus could prove false. CNN reports that COVID-19 cases among children are 14 times as high now as they were in July. Child cases now represent 18 percent of all cases, compared to the 14 percent they represented throughout the pandemic. The scariest part may be that these numbers are occurring before schools are reopening. While some schools are pushing for mask mandates, some governors are banning those, so it’s falling on the parents to keep kids safe. Below are some tips for parents to keep their kids safe as the COVID-19 virus is still at large and children are going back to school.

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Get your kids vaccinated

The CDC recommends all individuals 12 years of age and older get vaccinated. Unless your child’s physician recommends against the vaccine for specific health reasons pertaining to your child’s conditions, get your child vaccinated. The vaccine has been shown to drastically lower the chances of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19, as well as reduce the chances of contracting or spreading it in the first place. Some schools are doubling as vaccine sites so you may be able to get your child vaccinated right at their place of education. And if you the parent aren’t vaccinated, get vaccinated so you can be a role model to your children.

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Pack masks and lanyards

Make sure your child has a mask on a lanyard. Children easily lose things, and a mask is one more thing for them to misplace. Putting your child’s mask on a lanyard helps them keep it nearby at all times. In the event they do lose their mask, just be sure to pack some fresh ones in their backpack. You can even stop by their school and put fresh ones in their cubby. As a class gift, you can give the teacher a big box of disposable masks to keep on hand for children who forget or lose theirs. This step will increase the safety of the entire classroom.

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Be a mask role model

It’s hard to convince children to do something that you yourself will not do. So if you want your kids to wear masks at school, you need to wear your mask. If your child sees you grocery shopping or spending time with friends in close quarters without a mask on, they will feel that they’re free to do the same thing. Your child is receiving a lot of mixed messages from friends and even teachers about the effectiveness of masks. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America confirms that mask wearing reduces the chances of contracting COVID-19 when a masked individual encounters an infected individual. Make sure your child hears the facts from you louder than the myths from others.

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Encourage outdoor meals

If the weather allows it, encourage your child to enjoy meal time and snack time outdoors. Mayo Clinic reports that being outdoors reduces the chances of spreading or contracting COVID-19. So if the school gives your child the choice to eat indoors or outdoors, talk to your kid about taking their meal outside when the weather allows for it. Your child may also have the choice to do playtime indoors or outdoors. Again, outdoors is a safer choice when the climate is comfortable. Make sure your kid has a jacket, hat, or any appropriate outdoor attire for the local weather to encourage outdoor activities.

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Have your child sit near a window

This tip also relies on good weather. Speak to the teacher about keeping the windows open in the room, since circulation of fresh air can reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission. Encourage your child to choose a seat near the window, too, so they’ll be closest to the fresh air. You might also consider speaking to the school board about putting air purifiers with HEPA filters in classrooms. While Mayo Clinic says they do not kill the COVID-19 virus, these filters do trap the elements that the virus attaches to and uses to circulate. So they can stop virus-carrying particles from moving around.

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Talk about distancing

Speak to your child about keeping six feet of space from other children. Some schools have children sit inside of individual large hula hoops during meal time or other activities, to encourage social distancing. Understand that, in some settings, like during sports, social distancing may not be possible. Talk to your child about wearing a mask when social distancing isn’t possible, even in outdoor settings. All of these measures are important to take even for vaccinated individuals. Together with a vaccine, these measures create an army to prevent the spread of the virus, and they’re stronger when used together.

Don’t hesitate to pull your kid out

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If your child develops even mild symptoms or you suspect they could be infected because of contact with an infected person, don’t hesitate to pull them out of school. Communicate with the other parents. Make a promise to each other to take these precautions together. Parents need to be proactive, and it’s much better to have a child miss a couple of days of school while waiting for a COVID-19 test result than to go to school and potentially spread the virus to others. Communication and a spirit of collaboration will be critical among parents at the school to help stop the spread of the virus. Alert one another immediately if your child has tested positive or your child has been in contact with someone who has.