Should masks be returned to classrooms?

Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections have increased sharply this year compared to previous years, with infections from both viruses. happened before It’s increasing faster than any cold or flu season in recent history.In recent months, many pediatric hospital There are reportedly insufficient beds to treat severe influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2 infections. The surge in respiratory viral infections is also causing problems for working families. More than 100,000 Americans took time off from work to care for sick children in October. This is an all-time high, according to data From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Many families struggle to keep their children in school school was closed because it increases sickness.

In school settings, masks help slow the spread of viral respiratory infections. Masks act as both a source control, limiting the amount of virus in the air from an infected person, and an exposure control, limiting the amount of virus inhaled by a healthy person. In the 2020-2021 school year, when schools mandated masks and encouraged physical distancing, the flu and her RSV infections were virtually non-existent. Reintroducing masks in high-exposure settings such as schools is a simple and effective way to reduce transmission from a variety of pathogens in both children and adults. A recent report states,Unmasking Universal in Schools – COVID-19 Outbreak Among Students and Staff,” provides real-world evidence for a correlation between masks and reduced incidence of COVID-19 in schools. There are many conditions, from the type of mask to the ventilation system in schools, change the formula For various schools, the benefits of masking are clear. In fact, our understanding of the benefits of masks is nothing new. Masks have been an essential part of personal protective equipment (PPE) in many hospital settings for decades due to their ability to protect healthcare workers from infectious viruses.

While some have expressed concern that wearing masks in schools may interfere with learning, psychologists have found that masks do not interfere with learning. interfere with language development in a classroom setting or development facial recognition skills. moreover, January 2022 survey Over the one-year study period, schools that required masks were 14% less likely to close. Keeping children healthy and keeping schools open should be a priority, knowing that an important part of early childhood development is the learning and socialization that takes place in school.

What is causing these cases should also be considered when considering the possibility of reintroducing masks in schools to slow the surge in respiratory infections. I have attempted to associate the sexual respiratory surge with “immune debt”. This term is Papers for 2021 It has not been discussed in previous medical literature. I claim thatThe reduction in secondary contact of the hygiene measures imposed by the pandemic may have led to less immune training in children, possibly leading to greater susceptibility to infection in children.This hypothesis has led many to believe that COVID-19 mitigation strategies such as wearing masks and physical distancing are somehow weakening children’s immune systems. However, such phenomena exist and discussion is ongoing among medical professionals. Indeed, in Sweden, where widespread mask mandates were not implemented, her RSV cases spiked abnormally in the fall of 2021, urge health authorities If you have toddler siblings, it is advisable to keep the older children at home. The same logic applies to the United States, where masking was less prevalent in some parts of the country than in others, but the current surge in childhood infections is not unique to areas with stricter masking mandates. There is none.

So what’s driving this surge? Patterns of respiratory illness have changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This change is historical. According to the CDC, the peak of the flu season is most likely between December and March. Before 2020, incidence of RSV was predictable, most often starting in mid-October and lasting until May. However, RSV circulation began rising in the spring of 2021 and peaked in July. Most recently, RSV started to rise in his September, and from 2022 his RSV surge in 2023 became a rarity. In the United States, our hospital system is ill-equipped to treat the vast number of respiratory viral infections from this unusual co-circulating triad of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.

It is in our children’s best interest to address the surge in respiratory viral infections as quickly as possible. Already affected health systems will struggle and may run out of critical care beds if the incidence of severe infections continues to rise during the winter months. However, there is one well-studied and simple solution. That is to put masks back into the classroom.

Zachary Rubin, MD I am a pediatrician who specializes in allergies and immunity. Dr. Melanie Mateu Scientist and founder of Prellis Biologics, a bioprinting technology company working to recreate tissues and organs for transplantation.