MADISON, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network) – As schools decide whether or not to open up for in person classes, doctors at UW-Health say you need to start preparing your kids now for a year of COVID-19 prevention.
Dr. Jack Pothoff with UW-Health says that despite bouts of rebellion, older kids likely won’t have a problem following instructions.
“So I think in the older age groups, not necessarily easy but at the same time, I think the way that we teach our older kids I’ll lend itself a little bit better so doing the physical distance and the masking.”
While it will likely be rough teaching elementary and kindergartners how to keep up with social distancing, COVID-19 transmission rates seem to be lower in that age group.
“If they do slip up and get that mask off for whatever reason at least the risk isn’t as high as those older kids if they were to do the same thing,” says Pothoff.
Pothoff says their real worry is if college age students decide to forgo masks and distancing and then try to come home for visits with their older parents who will likely be in age brackets at more severe risks with COVID.
“If you’re making decisions that would put you and then by extension our family at risk if you were to come home, we need to know about that. If you plan on going out to the bars if you plan on gathering in large groups.”
In all, Pothoff says that school districts and colleges have their work cut out for them on preventing the spread of COVID-19, seeing how easily other infectious diseases like the flu can quickly spread through schools every year.
