Children and masks
World Health Organization has always advised that people should always follow the rules and regulations put in place by the authorities. The way these rules are treated by adults in the same case should apply to children since they are at equal risks of contracting the disease and spreading it among themselves, and since they are currently not given the go-ahead to be vaccinated. (Park, C. L at el, 2020) The immunity levels are high among children below 12 years but they should not be exposed to the disease.
Children should wear masks at all times they are outside or in crowded places since children are less cautious with whom they interact with while playing. Some factors should be considered before a child wears a mask; are they able to appropriately wear the mask and have it on at all times, is there adequate and constant supervision by an adult, the transmission rates at the area, access to the right mask, who they are interacting with and how often should the mask be changed and the interaction rates of the child. (Villani, A at el, 2020)
The type of mask a child wears is a key issue. They should put on a 3ply mask as the adult for equal protection. The size should be appropriate and should be well-fitting covering the nose and the mouth at all times without falling. In case the child has any health conditions they should consult a medical practitioner on the right mask the child can wear since they are at high risk of infection.
Children should not be subjected to wear a mask when participating in sports or any physical activities, including jumping, running or vigorously playing, to avoid compromising with their breathing. Here they are advised to constantly wash their hands, limiting the number of children on the playground, and maintain a social distance that should be supervised by an adult to break virus transmission.
Reference
Villani, A., Bozzola, E., Staiano, A., Agostiniani, R., Del Vecchio, A., Zamperini, N., … & Corsello, G. (2020). Facial masks in children: the position statement of the Italian pediatric society. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 46(1), 1-2.
Park, C. L., Russell, B. S., Fendrich, M., Finkelstein-Fox, L., Hutchison, M., & Becker, J. (2020). Americans’ COVID-19 stress, coping, and adherence to CDC guidelines. Journal of general internal medicine, 35(8), 2296-2303.
