For starters, instead of banning children from playing together and eliminating all social risks, Dr. Chiang and the AAP’s school reopening guidelines focus on reducing risk and claim that outdoor play is more sure to play indoors. Jenkins said his family now socializes with another cautious family. His summer plans include outdoor games and beach visits, but not museums.
Some families who initially attempted to go without babysitters have given in, and public health experts acknowledge that the tension was significant. Parents and babysitters should have honest discussions about their expectations for wearing masks and distancing themselves. “But there is no way for a babysitter to socially distance himself from a child he is caring for,” said Dr. Chiang. And there is no evidence that the risk of transmission is lower for a younger babysitter, he added.
Ultimately, parents must weigh their risk threshold when it comes to children’s interactions with others. And that same advice applies to daycare, summer camp, or school in the fall. Parents should consider their job demands, if any household member is at high risk for severe Covid-19, the state of the outbreak in their community, and administrators’ plans to keep children and staff at least in groups fixed and remote. Also, look for policies that require children and staff to be screened for symptoms.
In other words, Dr. Chiang said, if the spread of coronavirus in your community is low, if administrators seem to take risk reduction seriously, and if parents have to work from home or are essential workers, send the children little ones to daycare or school can make sense
“The logistics of keeping children out of school, but still trying to educate them, go far beyond infectious diseases,” said Dr. Starke. “They enter the economy, they enter the social structure and they enter the families.”
Dr. Chiang has to make the same decisions. When he reopened his daughter’s daycare, he spoke to the facility director about distancing, disinfection, and other coronavirus-related policies. Your daughter’s statistics, family composition, and age should also be considered.
“Given that he is 2 1/2 years old, the risk of serious Covid-19 disease or developing MIS-C is small,” said Dr. Chiang. “We do not have older family members living with us or in the city, so we do not have to consider getting infected at daycare and infecting grandmother and grandfather. And the benefits you get from daycare are incredible. “
