MOLINE, Ill. — Schools around the nation are heading back to the classroom and districts are faced with a question. Should students wear masks or not?
News 8's David Bohlman asked the top doctors in the Quad Cities with UnityPoint Health Trinity and Genesis Health System on their thoughts on the issue.
UnityPoint Health Trinity:
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Moderator:
Alright Doctor O, this question is about masking, and I know that schools are facing some difficult challenges as they prepare to go back into the classroom should schools be mandating masks for children and staff?
Doctor Olutade, Chief Medical Officer, UnityPoint Health Trinity:
So, the mask. I would say the mask and the vaccine that are two biggest weapons of defensive weapons that we have. So before the vaccines came masks, really helped us and helped us tremendously to blunt the impact of the pandemic. So with the vaccines, we have we even really strong a weapon to fight off the virus so, if you're not vaccinated, ideally... the mask protects you and our children. And now you're in the category of those that can be vaccinated.
So, any protection for them will be helpful, really, because what again a while right now with not seeing any children hospitalized now hospital right over here with COVID-19. We have seen reports from all over the country, about a lot of children's hospitals being full of children with an COVID-19 infection. We saw the Delta variant which first was first in India and in India, a lot of children were impacted by the Delta variant. So, it is a, is a way to protect your kids from from the, from the virus. Masks do help protect them, at least until they get the vaccine.
And I know when, when teachers are vaccinated and when parents are vaccinated, you, you're able to protect your own children. So, for parents who are still wondering how best to protect your children one, you should get vaccinated because that also protects your children from from contracting the virus.
Genesis Health Systems:
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News 8's David Bohlman:
Going back to schools and schools making the decision whether to have masks or not. In your opinion, seeing what you see on a daily basis do you think schools should be requiring masks right now?
Doctor Andersen, Chief Medical Officer, Genesis Health Systems:
So what I'm gonna go back to, you know, the wave analogy or the hurricane analogy. You know when we are in a surge, when we're seeing increasing cases, then I think it's clear that we need to be masking indoors. When we are in the situation where we have better control and we have lower rates than we're in a much safer situation to reduce masking especially in vaccinated individuals.
So, yeah, my opinion should we be masking in schools during a surge especially with the Delta variant yes we absolutely should be, in my opinion, should we be encouraging vaccination of children who are eligible to protect them and to minimize spread within our schools, our community. Yes, I believe we should be vaccinating children who are eligible.
