Frederica Freyberg:

Children will be going back 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. Gregory DeMuri. And thanks very much for being here.

Gregory DeMuri:

Thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

To that question, how concerning is the spread of COVID-19 and its Delta variant for grade school children who remain unvaccinated?

Gregory DeMuri:

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.

Frederica Freyberg:

Absolutely. We know that the CDC as we just mentioned says schools should impose mask requirements. How effective are masks to prevent these infections?

Gregory DeMuri:

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.

Frederica Freyberg:

What about districts that are not requiring them, what’s your reaction to that?

Gregory DeMuri:

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.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now an assemblage of anti-mask parent groups in Wisconsin are lobbying hard against any masking requirement in schools 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?

Gregory DeMuri:

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 the cruelty of masks, you know, I think that is a lot of hyperbole really, 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.

Frederica Freyberg:

New research released this 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?

Gregory DeMuri:

Well, this is a key piece of evidence for supporting wears masks. In fact, I was just talking with lead investigators in that study. This is strong evidence that we need to mask children up, mask everybody up who’s been vaccinated, so the 12 and up and the adults who have been vaccinated when they go to school.

Frederica Freyberg:

Are you seeing — go ahead.

Gregory DeMuri:

It’s concerning that a kid could bring it home to a vaccinated parent as well. That’s certainly a concern.

Frederica Freyberg:

Are you seeing younger children get sicker from the Delta variant than the original strain of COVID?

Gregory DeMuri:

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 in 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.

Frederica Freyberg:

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?

Gregory DeMuri:

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, those summer school physicals are a great opportunity to get that done.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. Well, great. Thank you very much for your information, and good luck in your work, Dr. DeMuri. Thank you.

Gregory DeMuri:

Thank you, my pleasure.