Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Jill Sperling

SICK DAYS

Interior Health expecting demand for COVID-19 tests to increase as students head back to school

Sep 3, 2020 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — Students in the Kamloops-Thompson School District will be returning to the classroom in one week’s time. However, if a student has symptoms associated with COVID-19, they will have to stay home.

For parents who work outside of the home, this could prove difficult, especially since many daycares have similar protocols.

As the flu season draws near, the rate of viral illnesses among children is likely to increase. Interior Health Medical Health Officer Dr. Silvina Mema is anticipating an increase in the demand for COVID-19 tests as students return to school.

“With the fall, we can expect that there will be an increase in the number of respiratory viruses, not just COVID-19, but other viruses as well,” she sad. “So, we will see people with coughs, children with runny noses, it’s not a surprise.”

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Within School District 73, families are required to complete a health assessment agreement every day before students can participate in classes.

“If students have symptoms, they’ll be asked to stay home,” Assistant Superintendent-Elementary Trish Smillie told CFJC Today. “If they have symptoms or develop symptoms while they’re at school they will be isolated at school in a safe comfortable place to await their parents picking them up.”

For some parents, this will mean rearranging schedules to keep sick children at home.

“We make it work,” said one father of school-aged children. “It’s kind of difficult with both parents working jobs and kids staying home but it’s doable.”

“I think there’s things that you put ahead of your own self interest,” said another father, “and this is definitely one of those times where you take a step back and you do what’s best for the greater good.”

Should students manage to make it into the classroom while sick, one mother says she is not too concerned.

“Coronavirus is just like the flu, so it’s just like any other year,” she said. “If your kids go to school sick then if they get sick, they get sick. I mean, I’m not too concerned about it. If I was concerned about it I wouldn’t come to a park.”

Dr. Mema says children are at a lower risk for catching COVID-19.

“Children have been about six per cent of all cases in B.C.,” she said, “which is very low in comparison to say the 20-30 year old individuals which have been the bulk of the incidents of the cases that we’ve had lately, at least here in the Interior. So, children are less likely to get the disease, less likely to transmit the disease, and they don’t get as sick as older individuals.”

Nevertheless, IH is working with school districts to develop guidelines should a cluster of cases occur in a school.

“Those guidelines are being developed as we speak and will be available very soon,” Dr. Mema said. “But, Interior Health is ready to do contact tracing, to follow up on any children that may have COVID-19, to talk to their family members, their close contacts, isolation. All of those pieces are in place.”