“I’m concerned about the Delta variant,” US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN Wednesday. “I am worried that what we are seeing in terms of a plateauing of cases nationally but also an increase in cases in many small sections of the United States, that is, in fact, being driven by the Delta variant.”
‘If kids are going to be indoors with other people who are unvaccinated, they should be wearing masks.’
CNN asked certain questions and Dr. Leana Wen said that the Delta variant is 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant. She said people who are infected with the Delta variant could get hospitalized and experience severe illness. Vaccines appear to be less effective against Delta than they were against Alpha and other previously dominant variants.
Unvaccinated people being around others who are also unvaccinated — whether they’re children or adults may be the matter of the concern as per Wen.
If someone who is infected who is unvaccinated and there are other unvaccinated people around, there is a higher likelihood that those unvaccinated people are going to contract COVID-19- and that includes Kids.
Different parents are making different decisions when it comes to risk, and that’s OK. It’s not necessary for kids to wear masks outdoors, and we do not socialize with unvaccinated people indoors, said Wen.
If kids are going to be indoors with other people who are unvaccinated at camp, they need to be wearing masks. Ideally, meals at camp are served outdoors. If they are served indoors, kids should be spaced at least 6 feet apart while eating and not wearing masks.
For camps for those 12 and older, ideally, they require vaccination. If they do that, then it would be a very safe environment and they can do away with masks and distancing. If there are people of mixed vaccination status, then masks should still be required indoors, said Wen.
Traveling with unvaccinated kids depends on the risk tolerance of the family. Traveling by car could be safe because we’re able to control the places that we stop at.
Amusement park can be safe and low risk if you stick to outdoor activities. Avoid indoor settings and try to avoid places with large crowds. Make sure that the kids are also staying outdoors for meals.
Source: Medindia
