Politics gets in way of protecting children
There are simple preventative measures to curb COVID-19 infections: wearing masks and vaccines. Children under 12 aren’t eligible for the latter.
A little boy looked at me with bloodshot eyes, decreasing blood pressure and a heart struggling to pump because of the inflammation.
A teenage girl writhed in pain, sweating from her fever and gasping for air. A new mother laid intubated on a ventilator, recently induced at 28 weeks because her lungs couldn't support the demands of pregnancy; she was unable to hold her premature newborn.
These are just a few of the patients that I've treated for COVID-19 and its related illnesses as a pediatric resident physician. Last month, our ICU team watched as a family said goodbye to their preschool-age child, whose lungs were marred from COVID-19 pneumonia.
This death has the potential to become merely a statistic, or a beacon of change.
Mask exemptions in schools can lead to health complications in children
Governor Bill Lee last month signed an executive order to allow mask exemptions in school-aged children — a move that places students in jeopardy. I ask you today, as a pediatrician, to continue wearing masks in schools to protect our children.
One prevailing message heard throughout the pandemic is "at least it has spared the children.” As time waned on, we saw cracks in this folklore as more children developed multi-inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) a few months after COVID-19 infections, completely remodeling their hearts and lungs.
Some children carry these scars months later, impairing their ability to dance or play football like they once could. Now, the delta variant has changed the game and children are now increasingly symptomatic from primary COVID-19 infection.
During the week of Aug. 22, more than 14,000 children have tested positive for COVID, or about 38.5% of all cases. Historically, they have comprised 10%-15% of cases.
There are two simple preventative measures to curb these infections: wearing masks and getting vaccinated.
We must protect the most vulnerable
Unfortunately, those under 12 years old are not eligible for the vaccine and are left vulnerable. Multiple studies show masks are effective in slowing down transmission of COVID and other respiratory illnesses as a bonus. They prevent infected people from spreading respiratory droplets in the air and form a barrier to those uninfected.
The Tennessee American Academy of Pediatrics have endorsed masks as a safe and effective way to curb disease. Evidence shows public health measures and mandates work. CDC research showed statewide mask mandates were associated with fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center reached full capacity recently, stopping all transfers and elective surgeries. With the rising rate of cases, pediatric hospitals could follow suit in delaying elective surgeries, like heart transplants and cancer operations.
We encourage in-person school instruction. Our children benefit by making friends and developing social skills, while some students receive their only nutritious meal from schools. There is a path to return to school in-person safely, and that is through masking and vaccinations.
The executive order by Governor Lee is unsupported by the data. Let's remove partisan politics, which do not belong in our schools or children's lives. Mask exemptions leave our children further exposed to the dangers of COVID-19.
Let's put aside our differences to support science, experts and our children. Let's protect Tennessee's children from becoming the another sick patient with COVID-19.
Mackenzie Wyatt is a pediatric resident physician in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt. She is a member of the Tennessee chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Thoracic society.