With no masks in school this year, are Manitoba kids more likely to get sick?

Kids are back in the classroom this week. With more of a normal year planned, what are the health risks kids face as they get back into their pre-pandemic cohorts? Alex Karpa reports.

By Alex Karpa

Students are back in the classrooms this week, but with fewer restrictions in place this time around, are kids more susceptible to illness?

Last month, Manitoba health officials said Winnipeg saw a spike in hand-foot-and-mouth disease cases in children.

Pediatrician Dr. Marni Hanna says it is still spreading rapidly, but also pointed out that more children have experienced respiratory illnesses throughout the summer. She says these diseases and flus could spike as the winter months approach.

“This is the first time for a long time that we’ve been going back with no masking in place, and there have been a lot more viral infections this summer than what we are seeing,” said Hanna. “It’s been pretty busy. It didn’t calm down like we normally see.

“We need to focus on what we can to protect ourselves.”


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Despite the possibility of these spikes, Hanna says she is fully in favour of sending kids back to school.

“I don’t think there is any reason for keeping them at home or doing remote learning anymore,” said Hanna. “They need to be at school.”

Possibility of more hospitalizations in kids, says doctor

Staffing shortages have plagued hospitals across the country throughout the pandemic.

Dr. Jared Bullard, a pediatric infectious disease doctor from the Health Sciences Centre, says they are working hard to bring more staff in, as they prepare for the possibility of more kids going to the hospital due to respiratory illnesses.

“A lot of the time, even when we had a kid admitted to the hospital, we found that a lot of them had something else,” said Bullard. “They had RSV, or influenza, which would typically put them in hospital as well.

“Now that we are going into the new school year, and you are going to have all these kids together in close proximity. Are they going to be spreading viruses? We do expect that.”

Different protocols can become confusing

Each child-care facility, whether it be a daycare or a classroom in the province, is operating under their own protocols or policies.

Jodie Kehl from the Manitoba Child Care Association says she worries this will become confusing for families.

“For one facility, the first sign of a runny nose, children are asked to stay home,” said Kehl, the group’s executive director. “For others it’s a fever, for others, unless it’s a COVID positive test, they are welcome to attend. For a family, that could be confusing and frustrating at times.”

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Hanna says it’s important for parents take precautions to protect their children, but also to keep perspective.

“Getting flu shots, getting COVID vaccines and protecting things against what we can protect against. It is going to be a busy flu season, there will be more covid, it is going to happen. Just focus on what you can do to protect your children and try not to get too anxious about it.”

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