Category: News

UPDATED 1/24/2021

The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to decrease the severity of illness in people who catch this virus. Having a significant portion of Ohioans vaccinated will help us prevent serious hospitalizations and death.

WHEN WILL OUR OFFICE GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE?

We have been approved to receive them through the state.  They are doing the best they can to distribute them to the highest risk population first.  We hope to get them soon and will make them immediately available prioritizing with our staff in direct patient care and then to patients as our supplies increase.

WHY SHOULD I GET THE VACCINE?

It’s true that most people who get COVID-19 are able to recover. Some develop severe complications. Because the disease can damage the lungs, heart and brain, it may also cause long-term health problems that experts are still working on.  Another reason to get it is that it protects those around you.  Even if COVID-19 doesn’t make you very sick, you could pass it on to someone else who might be more severely affected.  Widespread vaccination is important to end the pandemic.

WHAT IS THE COVID-19 VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS?

Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and work to prevent COVID-19. Of the first two vaccines to be granted FDA emergency use authorization, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective and the Moderna vaccine was 94% effective in phase 3 clinical trials with more than 70,000 participants between the two studies. Although the COVID-19 vaccines have been developed recently, the technology used in mRNA vaccines, like those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, has been studied for decades.

WILL I HAVE TO GET THE VACCINE YEARLY LIKE THE FLU?

While research to determine how long the immune response will last with the vaccine is still under way, studies have shown they believe it could be effective up to 12 months.

WILL THERE BE A COMBINATION FLU AND COVID VACCINE?

Currently there is not a combination vaccine but research is in the works for a combined influenza/COVID-19 vaccine.

WILL THE VACCINE GIVE ME COVID-19?

Vaccines prime your immune system to recognize and fight off the disease, but they don’t cause an infection.  When the genetic material mRNA enters your cells, it instructs them to make a piece of the “spike” protein that’s present on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Those protein pieces don’t harm your body, but instead trigger your immune system to mount a response to fight them off.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE?

Side effects are minimal. The most common side effects include fatigue, headache, soreness or redness at the injection site, and muscle or joint pain, and should not prevent you from getting a vaccine that can prevent you from catching or spreading this deadly virus.

IF I HAVE AN AUTOIMMNUNE DISEASE, CAN I GET THE VACCINE?

Yes! Neither Pfizer nor Moderna are live vaccines.  The mRNA is short lived and Its degradation is due to RNAse, not our immune system.  Regardless of our immune status, the mRNA does not integrate into our DNA.

CAN THE VACCINE TRIGGER AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE?

We always worry about this with a new vaccine but so far we have not seen an issue with triggering autoimmune disease.

WILL THE VACCINE WILL ALTER MY DNA

FALSE. The vaccines DO NOT change your DNA. For all four COVID-19 vaccines under development (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen), the main function is to bring messenger RNA, also known as mRNA, into a part of our cell called the cytoplasm. The genetic material known as DNA is in the nucleus of our cells. There is a wall around the nucleus that prevents RNA from getting into the nucleus. Thus, the vaccines have no ability to change our DNA. Also, the mRNA used in these vaccines    only lasts in our cytoplasm for a few days, and then our body destroys it. So, the mRNA does its job of having our body make a harmless piece of the spike protein in COVID-19, and then our body starts an immune response against the spike protein. This immune response is what protects us against being infected by COVID-19.

DO COVID-19 VACCINES CONTAIN HUMAN STEM CELLS?

FALSE. None of the vaccines contain human cells. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are pure mRNA that was made in the lab. This process does not use any cells at all. The AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines use an adenovirus to bring the spike protein gene to our cells. Viruses need to grow in cells. After the    adenovirus used in the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines are grown, the virus is collected from the    cells and purified. So there ONLY is virus, NO human cells, in the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccine. The initial cell line for the AstraZeneca vaccine came from human embryonic kidney cells. However, those cells were obtained over 60 years ago. There are NO human cells in the finished product of either the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccine.

WHAT IS THE AGE LIMIT TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE?

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently recommended for patients age 16 and up, and the Moderna vaccine is currently recommended for patients age 18 and up. As more information becomes available on children and COVID-19 vaccines from the FDA, CDC, and vaccine manufacturers, it will be made available at coronavirus.ohio.gov/vaccine. There are current vaccine trials occurring on children younger than these ages, but we do not know when a vaccine for children will widely be approved and available.

HOW MANY DOSES WILL BE NEEDED?

Both Pfizer and Moderna require TWO from the same manufacturer. Pfizer second dose is 21 days after the first. Moderna second dose is 28 days after the first. These are recommended intervals with a 4-day grace period.

WHAT IF I ALREADY HAD COVID – DO I STILL NEED THE VACCINE?

Yes, COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to you regardless of whether or not you already had COVID-19. You will not be required to have an antibody test before you are vaccinated. However, anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated until after their illness has resolved and after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation.

Additionally, current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. Therefore, people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period if desired.

CAN I GET THE VACCINE IF I’M IMMUNOCOMPROMISED?

YES.  The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are not “live” vaccines and thus immunocompromised individuals are at no greater risk from these vaccines than any other person. While neither the Astra Zeneca nor Janssen vaccine use adenoviruses that can grow in our body, they are “live.” Thus, while we have no reason to think either the Astra Zeneca or Janssen vaccines are of increased risk to people with immunocompromising conditions, it would be best to discuss with you doctor if one type of the COVID19 vaccine may be better for you

WILL THE VACCINE PROTECT AGAINST THE NEW COVID-19 VARIANT (COVID-20)

Viruses frequently change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic. Most variants do not change how the virus behaves, and many disappear. There is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. Public health officials are also studying if variants are detected by currently available viral tests, and if they respond to medicines being used to treat COVID-19 patients.

The CDC’s recommendations for slowing the spread remains — wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, avoiding crowds, ventilating indoor spaces, and washing hands often — will also help prevent the spread of this variant.

CAN WE TRUST THE VACCINES SINCE IT WAS RUSHED?

The first vaccines for COVID-19 do involve new technology, and they were developed in record time. However, this was not due to shortcuts in the vaccine development process. The new technology is called messenger RNA, or mRNA. While this is the first time it’s being widely used in a vaccine for the public, researchers have actually been working on this vaccine strategy for more than three decades.

The companies put their vaccines through rigorous clinical trials involving tens of thousands of volunteers.  The FDA follows the volunteers for up to two years after receiving the vaccines to make sure, they are safe and effective.  Because it was put out so fast, data was closely scrutinized from those trial to ensure efficacy.

CAN OTHER VACCINES PROTECT ME FROM COVID-19?

Other vaccines, such as those for flu, measles, or other diseases, will not protect you from COVID-19. Only the vaccines designed specifically to protect you from COVID-19, once approved for use by the FDA, can prevent COVID-19. While a flu vaccine will not prevent you from getting COVID-19, it can prevent you from getting influenza (flu) at the same time as COVID-19. Because the flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading during this time, getting a flu vaccine will be more crucial than ever.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION (EUA) AND APPROVAL FROM FDA?

An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authorizes the use of an unapproved medical product, or unapproved use of an approved medical product, for use during a public health emergency if the benefits of its use outweigh any known or potential risks. Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines have been granted EUA following rigorous review. The EUAs are valid until the pandemic is over, the FDA revokes the EUAs, or the products are approved for traditional licensure by the FDA. The FDA closely monitors each vaccine for safety after the EUA is issued. Drug manufacturers are encouraged to obtain traditional FDA licensed vaccine approval as soon as possible.

WILL I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE VACCINE?

If you choose to get a COVID-19 vaccine, you will not have to pay. Vaccine doses purchased with taxpayer dollars will be given to Ohioans who choose to receive them at no out-of-pocket cost. Vaccine providers will be able to charge an administration fee for giving the shot to someone, so you may still receive a bill for the work a clinical team member did in providing the vaccine.

Like most of COVID-19 related billing, these services may be covered differently at some point in the future. It is always important to check with your insurance company regarding what services they cover.

WHEN CAN I STOP WEARING A MASK AND AVOIDING CLOSE CONTACT?

There is not enough information currently available to say if or when the CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before making that decision. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision.

DOES IMMUNITY AFTER GETTING COVID-19 LAST LONGER THAN PROTECTION FROM COVID-19 VACCINES??

The protection someone gains from having an infection (called natural immunity) varies depending on the disease, and it varies from person to person. Since this virus is new, we don’t know how long natural immunity might last. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection.

Regarding vaccination, we won’t know how long immunity lasts until we have a vaccine and more data on how well it works.

Both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are important aspects of COVID-19 that experts are trying to learn more about, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

CAN I RECEIVE THE VACCINE IF I AM BREASTFEEDING?

There is no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in lactating women or on the effects of mRNA vaccines on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion. mRNA vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant. People who are breastfeeding and are part of a group recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, such as healthcare personnel, may choose to be vaccinated.

DOES THE COVID VACCINE AFFECT FERTILITY?

No. This is a myth that was first put on several social media platforms. According to a report by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 23 women became pregnant while participating in Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine clinical trial. Out of the 12 pregnant individuals who received the vaccine, there were no reported adverse events such as miscarriages. In the 11 who received a placebo, 2 cases of adverse effects were reported. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) has said that pregnancy is not a reason to avoid vaccination.

HOW LONG AFTER RECEIVING OTHER VACCINES CAN I GET THE COVID VACCINE, OR VICE-VERSA?

You must wait a minimum of 14 days after receiving any other vaccines before you can get your COVID Vaccine.

From your Anderson Hills Pediatrics team, we want to wish you Happy Holidays!

We know that this season will continue to look very different for many of you, your children, family and friends. We want your winter holidays to be as enjoyable this year as it has in years’ past!  The final weeks of 2020 may be the most important of this year. Holiday celebrations with multiple sides of families and friends within short periods of times are known to be super spreader events. We want to do our best to ensure your child or children and family stay healthy through this season.

How can you celebrate safely this year? Below are a few tips that still apply for this holiday season. 

• Prepare and enjoy a meal with those in your household.
• Create a virtual meal or gathering with those outside of your home.
• Enjoy parades, sporting events and holiday movies by watching at home.
• If the weather cooperates, we encourage you to celebrate outdoors.
• Continue to wash hands regularly, when they are soiled, before and after prepping food, and before and after eating.
• While we don’t suggest gatherings outside of the household, if you choose to do so, we encourage you to keep the group size under 8 and no more than 2 households combining.  

Below are also a few other resources we hope help you and your family navigate through this unprecedented this holiday season.

• Healthy Children – Should we cancel our family holiday travel plans this year because of this years Covid-19 pandemic?
• Healthy Children – Keep the Holidays Happy During Covid-19
• Healthy Children – Are holiday gatherings OK during the Covid-19 pandemic?
• Healthy Children – Holiday Food Safety Tips
• CDC – Winter Holidays

Thank you to you, our patients, for providing a 2020 to be remembered. We a grateful for all of the positive experiences we have had with you this past year, and are looking forward to many more in 2021. We wish you a safe and comforting holiday season and a happy new year!

Anderson Hills Pediatrics continues to monitor and assess COVID-19 vaccine information as it becomes available. Our main priority has always been to make sure of  the safety of our patients, our team, and physicians.

The COVID vaccine manufactured by Pfizer received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA, but it is not yet available to the general public and not approved for patients under the age of 16 years. The initial vaccines were shipped in limited quantities for high-risk healthcare workers, first responders, and long-term care facility residents.

While we have applied for vaccines with the Ohio Department of Health, we currently do not have any vaccines available at our offices. While we did apply for vaccines, we also do not have a timeframe in which those may be arriving or how many we might receive. We do know that supplies are limited, so the vaccine will be distributed to the community in phases based on risk of exposure and disease severity, as outlined by the CDC. General public vaccine availability will be determined based upon how rapid vaccine doses can be produced and distributed. We have heard that this may be around Spring/Summer of 2021.

For more information regarding the  COVID-19 vaccination, you can visit cdc.gov

“I have seen COVID cases in the office every day this week, which is a crazy uptick since Halloween. Yes, most children handle COVID very well, BUT NOT ALL.

PLEASE listen to the scientists and don’t break your bubble to celebrate Thanksgiving. You will be sharing more than you intend unless you are able to celebrate outdoors with masks and social distancing.

The consequences for your loved ones are just not worth it. I have listened to many stories of regret this week.

PLEASE listen to your local public health officials!” – Dr. Hackenberg-Bauer

For many of us, Thanksgiving is about getting together with our loved-ones to enjoy time together, remember all we have to be grateful for, and share a meal. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused quite the uptick in illnesses over the past several weeks, and a key reason is due to small household gatherings.

We want your Thanksgiving to be as enjoyable this year as it has in years’ past! We also want to do our best to ensure you child or children and family stay health through this and the holiday season.  How can you celebrate safely this year? Below are a few tips for Thanksgiving traditions that we hope will help you in planning and celebrating next week.

• Prepare and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with those in your household.
• We have gotten good at virtual learning over the past year! Use that skill to create a virtual meal or gathering with those outside of your home.
• Enjoy parades, sporting events and holiday movies by watching at home.
• If the weather cooperates, we encourage you to celebrate outdoors.
• Continue to wash hands regularly, when they are soiled, before and after prepping food, and before and after eating.
• While we don’t suggest gatherings outside of the household, if you choose to do so, we encourage you to keep the group size under 8 and no more than 2 households combining.

Below are also a few other resources we hope help you and your family navigate through this unprecedented this holiday season!

• Healthy Children – Thanksgiving during COVID-19: Keep Safety on the Table
• CDC – Celebrating Thanksgiving
• CDC – Holiday Gatherings and Small Celebrations
• CDC – The Holiday Season Do What is Best for you and Your Loved One
• Healthy Children- Holiday Food Safety Tips
• Healthy Children- How to Practice Gratitude & Improve Your Family’s Mental Health

We feel it is important to take steps in providing support and service to our community. Each year we host a food drive at our offices to collect items needed by the Inter Parish Ministry.

Due to this year’s pandemic, we did not feel safe collecting items in our offices. However, we still want to give back! Our offices and teams will be contributing virtually this year to IPM. If you have the means to do so, we encourage you to join us by clicking the link below.

Donate Here

Thank you for joining us in this year’s food drive!

October is ADHD Awareness Month!

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects over 9% of school-aged children. Boys are also diagnosed with ADHD two times more often that girls. ADHD is a chronic condition that makes it difficult for children (and even adults) to manage their behaviors. ADHD is characterized by 3  groups of behavior symptoms that are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. If left untreated, ADHD can lead to life-long issues and challenges for these individuals.

Below are a few resources that Caitlin, LPPC-S, our behavioral health counselor recommends as options to help parent your child with ADHD. We hope these will help you and your family!

• Articles and Web Resources:
  • Healthy Children has written a great article on Understanding ADHD: Information for Parents that may be of help to you with your child.
  • What is ADHD from Understood
  • Cause of ADHD: What We Know Today 
  • Treatment and Target Outcomes for Children with ADHD
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – Center for ADHD Site
• Book recommendations:
• Taking Charge of ADHD by Dr. Russell Barkley
• Thriving with ADHD Workbook for Kids by Kellie Miller
• ADH-Me! by Dr. John Hutton

Cincinnati Parenting Groups and Webinars:

• Information regarding the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ADHD group, schedule and registration can be found here.
• Webinars and Events with CHADD –  Event Calendar

Photo Credit: CHADD

As your child’s medical provider, we want to make sure your children are reaching their developmental and emotional milestones. 2020 has been a year unlike any other for us and our children alike. Navigating a new normal can take its toll on a child’s social skills, their ability to cope with challenges, and even their quality of life.

Saturday, October 10th was World Mental Health Day. This day is meant to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health conditions, something that we treat commonly at our practice. Did you know…

• 17% of children (ages 6-17) experience a mental health disorder each year
• Over 9% of children between the ages of 2-17 are diagnosed with ADHD
• More than 7% of children between the ages of3-17 have been diagnosed with a behavioral disorder
• Over 7% of children between the ages of 3-17 have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder
• More than 3% of children between the ages of 3-17 have been diagnosed with depression

Many of these disorders are noticed by significant and serious changes in the way children behave, learn, manage emotions, etc. In cases where the symptoms are persistent and severe, children have difficulties at school, home and in play. Without treatment, these children can have long-term impacts in life.

We recognized that we were seeing an increased number of children with behavioral health, anxiety, depression and more in our practice. We wanted to make sure we could provide your child the best possible care, and sometimes that requires treatment beyond what a physician provides. Due to this, we have partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to bring you the best possible counseling care. Caitlin Geiser, LPCC-S started with our practice in September and has been providing counseling for patients at both of our locations as well as telemedicine. 

Tips for dealing with mental health at home: 

• As the parent or guardian, you know your child best. If you have a child that is dealing with any behavioral or mental health concerns or you yourself are concerned with their behaviors, give us a call! Our care team is available by phone 24 hours per day, and would be happy to help you navigate what is needed for your child’s care. You may reach us at (513) 232-8100.
• Encourage your child to discuss their emotions. It is important for children and adults to have a safe space to discuss being worried, angry or sad. Taking care of mental health is just as important as physical health.
• Model healthy coping skills for your children.  Parents often do things to manage stress, worry, and anger which they find helpful, but they do them “behind closed doors” so to speak.  Tell your kids what you are feeling and how you are going to handle it.  For example, “I just had a really frustrating day at work and I need to calm down.  I’m going to take some deep breathes and relax for a little bit.”  Or ask your child to help you think of some ideas to help you calm down.  Involving your kids in the process of identifying healthy coping skills is a great tool you can implement daily!

“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” ― John Green

Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/basics.html

Children respond to stress in different ways. They can be more clingy, angry, agitated, or do things they normally don’t. Below are a few tips to help you and your child deal with stress that may be associated with back-to-school changes, the pandemic, or everyday life.

• Respond to your child’s reactions in a supportive way. Give them extra time and attention. Listen to their concerns, speak kindly, and reassure them.
• If your child is feeling anxious about returning to school, involve them in a plan to prepare for potential problems or concerns. For example, if they are worried about what will happen if they are at risk from one of their classmates getting COVID-19, talk about all of the ways the school is working to keep everyone safe. Also get their input on ideas to keep their environment feeling as normal as possible.
• If possible, create opportunities for the child to play and relax.
• Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible. You can also create new ones in new environments. Include school/learning and time for safely playing and relaxing. We encourage you to continue to make sure your efforts to maintain these routines are done in a safe, socially distanced way!

Behavioral health concerns (such as anxiety, depression, behavior problems, adjustment concerns) often arise in childhood and can impact a child/teen’s functioning. We have found that for some patients these concerns have been amplified due to the pandemic this year. To help with these common concerns, we have a behavioral health specialist, Caitlin Geiser, LPCC-S, on our team. If you are in need of additional support for your child, Caitlin will focus on your child’s psycho-social functioning and help teach you and your child strategies to reduce symptoms.

If you have any questions about therapy services or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at 513-232-8100. Our goal at Anderson Hills Pediatrics is to provide the best possible care to your child so he or she can achieve the best possible health and quality of life.

Source: World Health Organization

Amy Fry, RN, IBCLC and Hilda Lyons, BSN, RN, CBS

Breastfeeding comes easily for some mothers, but for others it does not. If you choose to breastfeed or provide breast milk for your baby, our lactation team is here to help!

How are Amy and Hilda here for you? Through a focus of CARES, or our Anderson Hills Pediatrics core values.

COLLABORATION: They work together with your family to provide the best plan of care for your child. Each baby and feeding situation is unique, so our team focuses on finding the solution that is right for the family.

ACCESS: Our lactation specialists want to make sure they are easy for you to reach! You can reach out to them through our patient portal, office visits, or by phone at 513-232-8100 option 4.

RESPECT: We respect your family’s feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions. These go into consideration when we are determining the best care plan for the mother and child.

EXPERIENCE: Our lactation specialists and clinical team have years of experience in helping mothers and babies with lactation needs. We work together to ensure your family has a positive experience.

SERVICE: We want to make sure your family is equipped with information to help with feeding. We are here to provide families with the information to help mothers nurture and nourish their baby.

August is Breastfeeding Month. We are proud to be able to offer this service to you and your family. For additional resources, we also encourage you to check out a library of advice from Healthy Children/ the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Healthy Children

In Person or Online School?

With the number of Covid-19 cases increasing in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky and school districts coming out with their proposals for the 2020/2021 school year, many parents are reaching out to us for recommendations.

This is definitely not a one size fits all situation. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the CDC, Washington, Columbus, local health departments, have all offered their recommendations/opinions. They are addressing what is best for the majority of children. We agree with the AAP that “schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being and provide our children and adolescents with academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits.”

However, you the parents are not making decisions for the average child, you are making decisions for your child. Here are some things to consider, some questions you should ask yourself and your child, if she/he is old enough:

1)      Clearly your first consideration is your child. Is your child healthy or does he/she suffer from a chronic medical condition that may be exacerbated by a serious respiratory infection? How did your child fare during in-home schooling this spring? Does your child need in person instruction in the classroom or does he/she do better learning at their own pace on their own time? Can your child navigate the virtual assignment board, find the necessary virtual materials, and submit them correctly? Is your child self-motivated to keep on track? It is very likely that in person instruction will be interrupted as the number of Covid cases increases. Can your student adapt to the possibility of going from in school to all virtual, to maybe a hybrid model? Or is consistency better for your student which could be achieved by an all online year. Does your child thrive in the social interactions with her or his peers or are those added stressors? Do you rely on nutritional support for your child in the school setting? Does your child have special needs, needs like OT/PT/speech/behavioral or mental health support? Are you concerned that your child has a learning disability that needs to be evaluated at school? Does your child have adequate opportunities at home for physical activity?

2)      Then think of your own situation. Being a parent is a full-time job. Being a teacher is a full-time job. Are you equipped to support your child’s learning on a daily basis for multiple hours per day? Do you have a job outside the home? Are you a single parent? Are you healthy or do you have a chronic medical condition that requires you or those around you to quarantine? What about other members of your household? How would the possibly changing situation of in-school learning going to fully online to possibly a hybrid model affect your household? Do you need more consistency due to job or other constraints? School strategies may need to be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission in the school and throughout the community. How will you be able to adapt to those changes?

3)      What about extended family circumstances? Do you need to care for a sick grandparent or other individuals that are at higher risk from Covid-19? Do you have extended family available to you to help with your child’s learning? Are family members available to help when your child gets ill?

4)      What is your school’s proposal? We know that social distancing decreases the risk of infection. The primary mode of transmission is through respiratory droplets by persons in close proximity to each other. Is your school able to socially distance children? How often will your child be in crowded hallways or are the students staying in the same classrooms and only teachers are moving between rooms? We also know that face masks mitigate the spread of the virus, when social distancing is not feasible. Is you school implementing a face mask requirement? Will your child be able to tolerate such a requirement? Where is your child eating lunch? What about physical education?  Spread through respiratory droplets will be more of a concern at those times. What about busing or drop-off and pick-up procedures?

It is important to understand the mounting evidence regarding COVID-19 in children and adolescents, including the role they may play in transmission of the infection. SARS-CoV-2 appears to behave differently in children and adolescents than other common respiratory viruses. Although children and adolescents play a major role in worsening outbreaks due to influenza, information to date (and this may change) suggests that may not be the case with SARS-CoV-2. Although many questions remain, so far the evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from Covid-19 infection. In addition, children may be less likely to become infected and to spread the virus. There are multiple, granted small, studies that indicate that the primary spread is from adult to adult and adult to child rather than the other way around.

In summary, for most students and families, in school education will be best for academic learning, social emotional development, intervention services, and physical activity. With appropriate physical distancing when possible, face masks when distancing is not feasible, hand-washing, cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, and using outdoor spaces whenever possible, the threat of Covid-19 in our children can be mitigated. Most children will learn best when physically present in the classroom.

However, as a parent you know your child best. If you have specific questions about your child’s situation, please call us. As your child’s primary care provider we are happy to discuss your specific situation with you.

Petra Hackenberg-Bauer, MD, FAAP