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It’s that time of year again—back to school! Time for shopping sales. Time to snap adorable photos on your front porch. Time to lament how quickly they’re growing up and how soon they’ll be off to high school. It’s also time to pack lunches and send our little ones off to the bus stop, finally getting them back to school where they belong. But here’s the catch: it’s also time to confront COVID-19.
The narrative has been that kids don’t catch COVID! (False.) Kids only experience asymptomatic cases! (Another falsehood.) Even when they do show symptoms, COVID is just a cold for them! (Not true, as many pediatric ICUs are nearing capacity in places like Columbia and Charleston, SC). Kids don’t die from COVID! (Yet, we’ve tragically lost children to it in the U.S., and multi-system inflammatory syndrome [MIS-C] has affected thousands of kids.)
The Delta Variant Changes Everything
The Delta variant has changed the game entirely. It’s much more contagious than the original strain, and it’s hitting the unvaccinated hard. Most importantly, kids under 12 are still ineligible for vaccination. These are established facts that require no citation because they’re common knowledge.
For this back-to-school season, we’re not just stocking up on cheap pens and notebooks; we’re also cramming unvaccinated children into poorly ventilated classrooms without social distancing for hours. Many will be unmasked, thanks to governors in states like Florida and South Carolina who have banned mask mandates, while some parents believe their kids don’t need to wear masks, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
South Carolina’s governor insists that children “can’t learn” while wearing masks and considers them “unnecessary.” Meanwhile, Florida’s Governor, who is facing a tragic rise in COVID-19 deaths, has threatened to withhold salaries from school officials who implement mask mandates.
Look, we all want our kids back in school. Nobody wants to return to the chaos of virtual learning. Working parents simply don’t have the time for that, and kids need social interaction. However, sending them back to school without masks or social distancing during the Delta variant surge will likely lead to another spike in cases. We’re losing track of the surges; perhaps we should start naming them like hurricanes. Let’s call this one Noah, after the most popular baby name from the year our kindergarteners were born!
Kids Need to Be Back in School
After a year and a half into a global pandemic that has made many anxious, we’ve reached a crucial point: kids must return to school. So chill out, Karen—nobody’s pushing for a return to virtual learning. But with COVID-19 numbers rising again, despite the availability of safe vaccines, we need to face reality. Kids going back to school without protective measures will create another surge (let’s call it Noah), primarily affecting the unvaccinated. We’re allowing the virus to adapt and endangering those who refuse to adjust. It’s a grim mix of biological and social Darwinism!
This back-to-school season, America should be feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. Instead, we’re throwing our children into a high-risk environment without a second thought. They need protective measures like masks, plexiglass barriers, and proper ventilation. Instead, they’re met with people who scream about their rights.
Remember, no one complained about no shirt, no shoes, no service. If masks can save lives, why are we banning them? Allowing COVID to spread freely in schools is like unleashing a dangerous predator in a safe space. We can’t walk into this school year with our eyes closed. Kids will get COVID. Kids will get sick. Pediatric ICUs will fill up. This is basic math, which our kids can’t learn if they’re on ventilators.
Must-Have Back-to-School Item: Vaccines
Until a pediatric vaccine is available, our children are learning in a COVID breeding ground. They must return to school, but we can do more to reduce their risk. COVID cases are rising, ICUs are overwhelmed, and yet we’re going into this back-to-school season as if it’s just another normal year. Wake up! Mask your kids, demand social distancing, and advocate for proper ventilation.
Don’t assume your child will only be asymptomatic. Asymptomatic individuals can still spread the virus, and the virus is deadly. We can only hope to keep our kids safe until they can be vaccinated. Even when vaccines are available, they should still wear masks indoors, as recommended by the CDC.
This return to school will not be easy—for you, for them, or for anyone who believes in the safety of vaccines.
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