This information was accurate at the time of publication. Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, some information may have changed since the original publication date.
Addressing the misinformation about the mental and physical barriers that wearing a mask in school may bring - 大发娱乐 专家发表意见.
Face masks have been identified as one of the crucial tools to help stop the spread of COVID-19 yet the debate over whether they work or are necessary has been ongoing since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, 工作人员, 学生, 以及K-12学校的访客, regardless of vaccination status.
Are masks effective for children at school?
简短的回答是：“是的.” “In settings of very high mask use, in-school transmission of the 冠状病毒 is less than 1%,” 亚当•赫斯, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at 大发娱乐 and Intermountain Primary 孩子们’s Hospital. “The best way to protect health and safety—particularly of those that are not 接种疫苗—is to wear a mask.”
孩子们 under the age of 5 are currently not eligible for the COVID-19 疫苗; most schools will be offering in-person learning this school year and right now, intensive care units (ICUs) across the country are filling up. With many families and 护理人员 grappling with the decision of whether or not to send their children to school with a mask, the evidence clearly shows that wearing a mask is the right decision.
尽管如此, some people think children don’t need to wear masks because of a misconception that they 可以’t spread the COVID-19 virus to adults. 根据疾控中心这是不真实的. “孩子们 and adolescents 可以 spread SARS-CoV-2 to others when they do not have symptoms or have mild, non-specific symptoms and thus might not know that they are infected and infectious.”
孩子们 可以 become infected with Sars-CoV-2 and transmit the virus to their parents, 护理人员, 祖父母等等. With limited space in hospitals to care for COVID-19 patients, this becomes an issue.
“We don’t have the same number of healthcare workers as we did last year to do the same amount of testing. We have a signifi可以t workforce issue. The best thing we as a community 可以 do for our healthcare workers, is to get 接种疫苗 戴上口罩。 理查德Orlandi, MD, associate chief medical officer of ambulatory health at U of U Health.
"The best thing we as a community 可以 do for our healthcare workers, is to get 接种疫苗 and wear masks." - 理查德·奥兰迪，医学博士
Does wearing a mask affect your 心理健康?
“The evidence that we have does not point us to any concern that masks affect 心理健康 negatively,” 杰里米·肯德里克, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
We are experiencing a 心理健康 crisis on top of a pandemic, 对于孩子来说, 这就更难了. “It is a fact that kids are more anxious and depressed right now. Parents want to do everything possible to reduce that anxiety and depression. However, lets fall back on data,肯德里克说. “There is no evidence that a child wearing a mask causes depression or anxiety.”
When it comes to anxiety, school children do not like to feel different from their friends. “One of my concerns about an environment with one child doing something different than the other, is it could lead to some kids feeling anxious. One of the benefits of all kids wearing masks, is everyone is on a level playing field.肯德里克说.
"There is no evidence that a child wearing a mask causes depression or anxiety." - 杰瑞米·肯德里克，医学博士
儿童的掩蔽
Masks 可以 be worn safely by children all day. However, fit and material matters. Look for masks with multiple layers, something that is comfortable and that fits your child’s face. If there are gaps on the sides, choose a different size. If a KN95 mask is available for your child, that is the best option.
There is misinformation circulating that children breathe in carbon dioxide when they wear masks. “When you exhale, you exhale carbon dioxide molecules. 幸运的是, carbon dioxide molecules are tiny, and they are smaller than the pores in our mask,赫什解释道. “So, the concerns that have been raised about carbon dioxide building up in a mask and leading to carbon dioxide retention in children, 或其他, 幸运的是没有根据.”
研究是由 犹他英雄项目 found that children are very successful at wearing masks all day while participating in normal school activities and in an environment where mask use is promoted, 孩子的成功.