Masks
I don’t think anyone would have predicted this is where we would be at the start of this next school year. The summer seemed so promising and I think we all enjoyed seeing each others smiles for a bit!
COVID-19 however has continued to evolve and, unfortunately, we are in the middle of another wave of infections, this time with the delta variant. Although the numbers in Michigan haven’t been as bad as some other states, partly because of our higher vaccination rates, they are steadily increasing. The delta variant is much more contagious than the other variants we have seen so far. It is infecting much younger people easier and causing some breakthrough infections in the vaccinated, which then allows it to spread easier as well. The vaccine is protecting against most infections still, and doing a great job of preventing hospitalizations and more serious infections, but many are still not eligible for vaccines.
What we know:
- Masks are safe
- Masks work
- Masks are annoying
- We want our kids in person for school
- Hospitalizations are increasing in younger adults and children
First,
Masks are safe. There are many myths about masks. There is no evidence that there are any long term consequences of wearing masks while sitting in a classroom. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Mask-Mythbusters.aspx
Second,
Masks work when used properly. The best masks are N95 masks but those are not always feasible. Paper masks are best for wide use. Unfortunately, cloth masks do not provide as much of a benefit, but are still better than no masks.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02801-8
Third,
Masks are annoying. I don’t think I probably need any extra documentation for that! The amazing thing is how quickly children adapt to wearing them.
Fourth,
We know from this past year that most of our students do better both academically and mentally when they attend school in person. Current quarantine and isolation guidelines mandate that if an unvaccinated student is exposed to COVID they must still quarantine for 10 days. If both the person with COVID and the exposed student are both wearing masks properly the student exposed does not need to be quarantined and can remain at school unless they develop symptoms. Wearing a mask protects your child as well as the other people in the class. What we know of the delta variant is that it will spread quickly in classrooms if mitigation measures aren’t used. Right now only about 30% of 12 -16 year old are vaccinated and children under 12 aren’t able to be vaccinated. We need to provide layers of protection in order to keep the students and teachers safe and in school.
Fifth,
As the delta variant has spread in other states they are suffering with increased rates of hospitalizations in the younger age groups, including children. Many pediatric ICU’s have run out of beds in other states. We do not want to see that happen in Michigan. We need to continue to take care of each other and one of the simplest ways we can do that is to wear masks.
The providers and staff of Holland Pediatric Associates support masks as a safe, effective, and simple way to mitigate the spread of SARS-COV-2, or Coronavirus. Our providers have studied peer-reviewed, scientific data and do not feel there is any medical condition that qualifies our patient population for a medically necessary mask exemption. Our practice policy is to not write or prescribe exemptions from mask mandate policies, including in the school setting. In support of the health and wellness of all children in Ottawa and Allegan County we do not make exceptions to this policy.
There are available acceptable alternatives for children with conditions such as speech or hearing impairment, such as clear masks.