Going back to school is good for everybody, says pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Allison Bartlett of University of Chicago Medicine. For children, it’s not just about education; but also social and emotional development, meals served, and other services. Reopening schools also allows parents to return to normal work situations and schedules and provides jobs for all the school personnel and faculty members. 

In a recent interview, Bartlett and pediatrician Dr. Caroline Olaleye, also of University of Chicago Medicine, offered parents and teachers physical and mental health and safety tips for children returning to school amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety Guidelines for Children

The physicians recommend that children stick to the safety guidelines that have already been in place, such as:

• Wear masks when indoors.
• Maintain social distancing; three feet is probably enough if everyone is properly masked.
• Use the hand-washing techniques recommended by the CDC.

Dr. Olaleye suggests practicing wearing masks at home, especially with younger children who learn by imitation, so that they are comfortable wearing a mask at school. She also advises parents to support their kids’ overall health as they head back to school by making sure they:

• Spend as much time outside as possible
• Get regular exercise, at least an hour a day
• Eat healthy foods
• Get sufficient sleep

If Your Child Has Anxiety

For many children, the emotional strain of prolonged social isolation can carry over as anxiety about returning to school and sometimes even depression. Let your pediatrician know if you notice your child:

• Weeping for no particular reason
• Becoming fearful or restless
• Shutting themselves in their room
• Sleeping too much or not enough
• Eating too much or not enough
• Losing the ability to concentrate
• Experiencing physical symptoms that might indicate anxiety

Dr. Olaleye also had a message for teachers, encouraging them to have patience with students, and to create opportunities for them to talk about their feelings at school, both in class and privately with each other, while maintaining a safe social distance.

Vaccination

Dr. Bartlett stressed the importance of vaccination for everyone in the family who can be vaccinated, even if they’ve already had COVID. Getting the vaccine after having COVID adds extra protection, and most parents’ fears about vaccination for young people 12 and older are unfounded.

The risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) from the mRNA vaccines seems to be of particular concern among parents, she said, but cases are extremely rare, appearing in only an average of 14 young people for every million doses given. Those cases have involved some chest pain, shortness of breath, and in some cases, hospitalization for a day or two where the condition has gotten better on its own with just supportive care.

*University of Chicago Medicine. (2021, Aug. 27). Back-to-School Health and Safety Tips Expert Q&A [YouTube Video]. At the Forefront Live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R29hBl8FtYc

Much about the novel coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but there may occasionally be some lag between scientific developments and our revisions.