MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With uncertainty and uneasiness for some Mid-South parents as area school districts reopen this month, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Dr. Nick Hysmith Thursday looked to set the record straight and ease concerns.
"I still feel comfortable with our students going back, provided that they follow the guidance that we've provided," Dr. Hysmith said.
He's talking about Le Bonheur's 21-page report of suggested school safety reopening protocols.
The recommendations include children getting a daily symptom screening by parents, schools setting up a designated sick room, students avoiding sharing supplies, and students wearing masks as much as possible.
"Have them practice wearing their masks while they are watching their less than two hours of screen time per day, or that sort of thing," Dr. Hysmith said.
But the risks remain, proven by positive cases of returning school children in other states.
In suburban Atlanta's Cherokee School District, nearly 1,200 students and staff at more than 20 schools are quarantined following more than 70 positive COVID-19 cases.
"That just leads me to believe that quite possibly they don't have as stringent of a protocol in place there that I feel we need," Dr. Hysmith said.
Dr. Hysmith said there's a floor set aside at Le Bonheur in the event of a surge of pediatric COVID-19 cases - space he's hopeful won't be needed.
"It's very, very rare for children to have severe symptoms and we are very thankful for that," Dr. Hysmith said.
