Illinois Physician Survey Raises Concern Over COVID-19 Risk for Kids Under 12

Docs asked about how to safely return to school and other common risks

CHICAGO - As parents, teachers and administrators grapple with how best to return younger children to classrooms this fall, a recent survey of Illinois physicians indicates continuing to wear masks and practicing social distancing will be important for reducing the transmission risk of COVID-19 among kids going back to in-person school.

The Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team (IMPACT) surveyed 126 physicians asking them to rate a variety of activities in terms of COVID-19 exposure risk for children under 12-years of age. COVID-19 vaccines have only been authorized for people ages 12 and up in the U.S.

"Since they cannot be vaccinated, we must proactively work to make sure young children are protected against unnecessary COVID-19 exposure. It is especially concerning due to Illinois' growing caseload. It would be a shame if we ceded back all of the progress we've made during this pandemic because we aren't looking out for young children," said ISMS President Regan Thomas, MD.

Physicians were asked to rate activities on a scale of one (very low risk) to five (very high risk) and with two scenarios - one with the children wearing a mask and social distancing, when possible, and the other with no mask or social distancing. In addition to rating the risk of attending in-person school, the survey also included activities like playing sports, dining at restaurants, and hugging vaccinated and unvaccinated children and adults.

 "As the Delta variant rapidly spreads among the unvaccinated, outbreaks of COVID-19 are inevitable in schools if the proper public health measures like wearing a mask are not followed, especially among the youngest kids," said IMPACT Chief Operating Officer, Eve Bloomgarden, MD. "Doctors don't want to see children getting sick and missing out on learning in school."

Recently, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics has called for universal masking in schools for unvaccinated students, while acknowledging that in-person learning is superior for the academic and social development of children.

View Chart

###

Founded in 1840, ISMS is a professional membership association representing Illinois physicians in all medical specialties, and their patients, statewide. Dr. Thomas is a practicing reconstructive plastic surgeon in Chicago.

IMPACT's mission is to activate change that maximally supports Illinois healthcare workers and the communities they serve by promoting improved quality of healthcare, personal welfare, and patient and provider safety. Dr. Bloomgarden is an endocrinologist practicing in Chicago.