Covid-19- Should I Send My Kids to School?

Schools start back up in about a month in my area, and I’m on the fence about whether my kids will physically be in classes or not. One in five adults who come down with Covid-19 are hospitalized, and one percent of those who contract the disease die. That’s 10 times higher than the fatality rate for the flu. It’s a scary decision. How safe will my kids be if they go to school? And what is the risk to other family members? I called a pediatrician friend to get her take on what’s going on, and here are highlights of our conversation.

What do you think about schools opening back up?

“I think it’s a recipe for disaster. There’s going to be a lot of people dying. I would be in favor of at least halving the student body, or maybe sending 25 percent of the kids, or having a lot of things online.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently issued a statement recommending that children return to school for mental health issues. Do you agree?

“All the people of means I know are not sending their younger children back, but I do understand the mental health issue.”

What are the risks to kids?

My friend shared statistics from a July 2, 2020 AAP report that showed kids make up few of the United States Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths, 0.8 to 2 percent and 0 to .5 percent respectively. Seven percent of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the U.S. are children (people ages 20 and under). Though kids don’t suffer as severely from the virus as adults do, they can still spread it to more vulnerable people, she said. Sending them to schools that are unprepared for social distancing and safety measures is a societal risk.

Any other risk factors?

Children and adults who are overweight have more problems with the disease than those who are lean, as do those who have a Type A blood type.

What’s going on in countries where schools have reopened?

“They have a level of compliance that is not seen in the U.S. In other countries, you go to jail if you don’t comply. It’s against the law to do things against keeping cases down. In Singapore, for example, they have temperature scanners. If any kid has a sniffle they are out. They track every person. Everybody has an app on their phone for contact tracing. A friend of mine who lives there says her husband was jogging, and his app beeped that someone who had corona was near him.”

When will this end?

“A Covid-19 vaccine is expected in the first quarter 2021 and scientists are hopeful that things should settle down in the next year or two.”

Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Amazon Best Selling, Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @tonyaDEllis
Follow Us on Instagram: @tonyaellisbooks