{"id":111788,"date":"2020-08-13T09:53:36","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T13:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=111788"},"modified":"2021-06-22T15:34:24","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T19:34:24","slug":"as-children-return-to-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/as-children-return-to-school\/","title":{"rendered":"As Children Return To School During the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a new school year begins for many of our children, parents are worried about navigating the new normal of life with COVID-19<\/a>. Colleen Moran-Bano, a pediatrician at the UCF College of Medicine<\/a> who leads pediatric training for M.D. students and is a parent herself, offers these tips.<\/p>\n

As pediatricians, we know that most children learn best when they are in face-to-face schooling. That\u2019s because young people thrive when they have routine, expectations, boundaries and opportunities to learn how to socialize with others. Besides consistent classroom instruction, in-person schooling gives children structure, physical activity and more adults who care about them. When COVID-19 forced schools to close, healthcare providers saw the impact. Some children suffered from food insecurity. Suicidality increased as did behavioral and anger issues and eating disorders. Parents were stressed trying to navigate in-home schooling, especially those caring for children with special needs.<\/p>\n

That said, returning to 100 percent in-person schooling causes concerns and may not be for everyone. As parents, it\u2019s important to understand the science and the risks for your particular child and family. We know that COVID-19 is particularly dangerous to the elderly and to those with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes, obesity and those who with compromised immunity. If you have older or high-risk people living with you, sending your child to school may be a riskier option. The same is true if your child has medical issues that make them at higher risk to become very ill from COVID-19.<\/p>\n

One of the challenges of this virus is that it is so novel we are learning its traits in real-time \u2014 as we live through it. We know from data early on in the pandemic that children made up only about 2 percent of all symptomatic infections. We also saw that middle schoolers and teens, the 14 to 17-year-olds, had the highest symptomatic infection rate among children and were less inclined to practice social distancing. Because we closed schools quickly when the virus hit, we don\u2019t have data on how infection rates will respond when children return to a more normalized school setting. It\u2019s unrealistic to test all school children for COVID-19, so their infection rates may be higher than we believe, and many may be asymptomatic though likely still playing a key role in community transmission. We also don\u2019t know how the upcoming flu season will impact infections.<\/p>\n

Schools are doing everything they can to protect children who are participating in face-to-face learning. They are instituting new policies \u2014 including having teachers move from room to room rather than students. They have made changes to transportation systems<\/a>, hallway movements, dining and sanitation and are holding as many activities outdoors as possible. They are also offering a mix of in-person and virtual learning<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As parents, you play a key role in how your child responds to the new school year. If you\u2019re anxious and afraid, your child will be, too. As adults, we need to put on a brave face \u2014 even if we don\u2019t feel brave inside. Focus on the things you can control \u2014 make hand-washing a family event. Let your child pick out colorful masks they will want to wear \u2014 and wear yours every time you go out in public. Eat healthy foods that boost immunity. Get outside. Make sure you are keeping up with your child\u2019s immunizations and well visits \u2014 don\u2019t let fear of COVID-19 cause you to postpone or ignore these important health protections.<\/p>\n

Above all, be flexible. We\u2019re all in unchartered water here. And whatever we plan for today will likely change. Remember, we\u2019re all in this together. Your child\u2019s healthcare provider is part of your team. So lean on us if you have questions or concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Colleen Moran-Bano, a pediatrician at the UCF College of Medicine, uses her professional expertise and personal experience to provide guidance on navigating the pandemic as a parent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":111789,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[979,18250,23581],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-111788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-college-of-medicine","tag-coronavirus","tag-health-tip"],"yoast_head":"\nUCF Medical Faculty on Children Returning To School During COVID-19<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Colleen Moran-Bano uses her professional expertise as a pediatrician and personal experience to provide guidance on 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