TO SCHOOL SOON, AND THOSE UNDER
12 ARE NOT PROTECTED BY
VACCINES.
AS COVID-19 INFECTIONS SPIKE
WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, THE CDC
RECOMMENDS UNIVERSAL MASKING IN
K-12 SCHOOLS.
HOW CONCERNING IS THIS
SITUATION?
WE TURN TO PROFESSOR AND
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE
SPECIALIST AT UW HEALTH,
DR. GEG REDEMURI.
HOW CONCERNING IS THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19 AND ITS DELTA VARIANT
FOR GRADE SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO
REMAIN UNVACCINATED?
>> I THINK IT'S A BIG CONCERN
RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN REALLY AN
EXPLOSION IN THE PAST SEVERAL
WEEKS OF THE DELTA VARIANT OF
COVID WHICH IS THE PREDOMINANT
VARIANT NOW IN WISCONSIN, AND
CHILDREN WHO ARE UNVACCINATED
ARE VULNERABLE TO THAT VARIANT
ITSELF, AS ARE THE ADULTS IN
THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
THERE ARE REPORTS NOW OF
BREAKTHROUGH DISEASE IN
VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS.
SO A BIG CONCERN IS THAT A CHILD
AT SCHOOL COULD BRING IT HOME TO
VACCINATED PARENTS OR
GRANDPARENTS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE KNOW THAT THE CDC AS WE JUST
MENTIONED SAYS SCHOOLS SHOULD
IMPOSE MASK REQUIREMENTS.
HOW EFFECTIVE ARE MASKS TO
PREVENT THESE INFECTIONS?
>> WELL, THEY ARE QUITE
EFFECTIVE.
WE KNOW THIS FROM RESEARCH DONE
IN SCHOOLS IN THE FALL AND
WINTER OF LAST YEAR.
SO THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF
STUDIES, SOME RIGHT HERE IN
WISCONSIN, THAT HAVE REALLY
SHOWN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASKS
AND OTHER MITIGATION STRATEGIES,
AND ALLOWING KIDS TO RETURN TO
SCHOOL SAFELY.
>> WHAT ABOUT DISTRICTS THAT ARE
NOT REQUIRING THEM, WHAT'S YOUR
REACTION TO THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT THAT'S
VERY RISKY, TO BE HONEST.
AND THOSE DISTRICTS ARE TAKING A
CHANCE.
THE CHANCE OF AN OUTBREAK IS
GREAT, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS
DELTA BURST THAT WE'RE SEEING
HERE, AND THEY'RE TAKING A RISK
WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES, THE
LIVES OF THEIR TEACHERS AND THE
LIVES OF THE PARENTS.
>> NOW I NOW A GROUP ARE LOBBYID
AGAINST ANY MASKING REQUIREMENT
SAYING MASKING IN SCHOOLS, THIS
IS A QUOTE, IS NOT ROOTED IN
SCIENCE AND IS CRUEL TO
CHILDREN.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT
PERSUASION?
>> TO ADDRESS THE FIRST ISSUE
THAT IT'S NOT ROOTED IN SCIENCE,
IT IS.
THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE ALL
OVER THE CDC'S WEBSITE THAT
MASKING IS EFFECTIVE AND WORKS.
WE SEE THAT IN OUR OWN
EXPERIENCE HERE IN OUR HOSPITAL,
HAS BEEN THAT MASKING HAS BEEN
VERY EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING
COVID TRANSMISSION AMONGST
HEALTHCARE WORKERS, OR TO
HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
SO THAT'S PRACTICAL EVIDENCE FOR
THAT.
AS TO CRUELTY OF MASKS, YOU
KNOW, I THINK THAT IS A LOT OF
HYPERBOLE, RIGHT?
NONE OF US LIKES WEARING MASKS.
I LOOK AT MY SURGICAL
COLLEAGUES, THEY WEAR A MASK
EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR 30, 40
YEARS OF THEIR LIVES.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ADULTS, OF
COURSE, BUT CHILDREN HAVE REALLY
SHOWN TO BE VERY ADAPTABLE AND
ACCOMMODATING TO MASKS.
A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, WHO'S A
NURSE, WAS TAKING HER CHILD TO
DAYCARE THE OTHER DAY, AND THE
CHILD HAD THE MASK ON IN THE CAR
AND SHE SAID, HONEY, YOU DON'T
NEED THE MASK ON IN THE CAR, YOU
KNOW?
SHE GOES, THAT'S OKAY, I DON'T
MIND IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE ATTITUDE
THAT KIDS HAVE ABOUT MASKS.
I THINK PARENTS ARE THE ONES
MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT IT.
>> YOU NEW RESEARCH RELEASED TS
WEEK FROM UW-MADISON SHOWS SOME
VACCINATED PEOPLE INFECTED WITH
COVID-19 CARRY AS MUCH VIRUS IN
THEIR NOSES AS THOSE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THAT FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN EVEN
IN THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLDS?
>> WELL, THIS IS A KEY PIECE OF
EVIDENCE FOR SUPPORTING WEARS
MASK BEINGS.
S.THIS IS STRONG EVIDENCE THAT E
NEED TO MASK EVERYBODY UP WHO'S
BEEN VACCINATED, SO THE 12 AND
UP AND THE ADULTS WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED WHEN THEY GO TO
SCHOOL.
>> ARE YOU SEEING -- GO AHEAD.
>> IT'S CONCERNING THAT A KID
COULD BRING IT HOME TO A
VACCINATED PARENT AS WELL.
THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONCERN.
>> ARE YOU SEEING YOUNGER
CHILDREN GET SICKER FROM THE
DELTA VARIANT THAN THE ORIGINAL
STRAIN OF COVID?
>> WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT YET.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY
EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT IT'S
MORE SEVERE IN CHILDREN.
WE ARE HEARING FROM OUR
COLLEAGUES DOWN SOUTH AND,
TEXAS, LOUISIANA AND OTHER
PLACES THAT THERE IS A LOT OF
DISEASE IN CHILDREN NOW, A LOT
OF HOSPITALIZATIONS FROM COVID.
MOST OF THOSE ARE DELTA VARIANT.
BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER
OF THE NUMBERS, JUST THE SHEER
VOLUME OF CASES IN THOSE
SOUTHERN STATES.
>> LATE THIS WEEK, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION ENCOURAGED A
RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY TO INCORPORATE
COVID-19 VACCINATIONS INTO
SPORTS PHYSICALS FOR STUDENT
ATHLETES THIS SUMMER AND FALL.
HOW IMPORTANT COULD THAT BE IN
YOUR MIND?
>> I THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY TO
INCREASE ACCESS TO VACCINES AND
GET TO ADOLESCENTS.
TRADITIONALLY, THE AGE GROUP OF
12 TO 18 HAS BEEN TOUGH TO GET
VACCINES TO.
WE'VE SEEN THIS FOR OTHER
VACCINES THAT ARE ROUTINELY
GIVEN IN CHILDHOOD.
THOSE SPORTS PHYSICALS, SUMMER
SCHOOL PHYSICALS ARE A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT DONE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, GREAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
INFORMATION, AND GOOD LUCK IN
YOUR WORK, DR. DEMURI.