Today, we were told that our kids’ schools will be closed for at least the next 2 weeks. No, there aren’t any Coronavirus cases in our school district that we know of. No, we don’t know when the schools will re-open. The same goes for many local stores, restaurants, and even Disney World! Anyone who lives in Florida knows that Disney NEVER closes. Things just got REAL. So why are schools closed for Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Get my FREE printable Natural Remedies for Kids, for simple ways to help your kids through common Pediatric illnesses. Get your printable here.
Social Distancing
With everything going on around the world and our country surrounding COVID-19, this was definitely the right step for our schools and businesses to take. The term “social distancing” has been thrown around over the last few weeks and is finally being put into play. Schools are closing. Businesses are forcing their employees to work from home. Many restaurants are leaning on a “to go” or “delivery” model and not allowing you to sit and eat there. The idea is to limit contact with others so that we can prevent the spread of the very contagious novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Social distancing: isolation intended to reduce the probability of contact between persons carrying an infection, and others who are not infected, so as to minimize the spread of disease, sickness, and death.
Some have questioned why we have to isolate our kids, since the data has shown that they really aren’t catching the disease quite as often as adults. They also aren’t getting as sick. And very few kids are actually dying from the disease.
So why close schools?
Save the vulnerable
Even though our kids aren’t getting sick from COVID-19, we all know that schools can be major breeding grounds for infection. If one kid in a classroom comes down with COVID-19, they’ll likely infect their entire class and so many others in the school. This spread is even worse in Middle and High-Schoolers who have 6-8 different classes a day.
Infected kids may not show symptoms for days. They may not have symptoms, but could still be spreading the disease. It’s also likely that they won’t be tested in time to prevent spreading the disease to their family. This puts so many at risk – especially the elderly and those with weak immune systems or chronic medical problems. Just imagine the hundreds of exposed kids who could potentially bring COVID-19 home to their families. PLUS we often rely on grandparents to watch our kids when we can’t. This all puts our community at a huge risk.
Social distancing isn’t just for the sake of yourself and your family. It’s for the sake of those who are most vulnerable all around you.
Save the healthcare system
If we can minimize the spread of COVID-19 now, we won’t overwhelm our clinics and hospitals all at once. This happened during the 1918 Flu pandemic in Philadelphia and is now happening in Italy with COVID-19. It may be starting in our country, too, if we don’t fight to stay ahead of it. Social distancing worked well when it was eventually put into play in St. Louis during the same 1918 Flu. It lead to slower disease spread and less deaths.
We don’t want history to repeat itself! We don’t want to deny care to anyone. But, if the pandemic continues to worsen, our healthcare workers will have to start making tough choices on who gets life-saving treatments and who doesn’t. The number of sick patients will outnumber the staff and equipment needed to take care of them if we don’t do something to prevent it now.
If we all make an effort to practice social distancing, we can quickly reduce the rate of people catching and getting sick from COVID-19. Thus, reducing the number of people who need to be hospitalized and treated. And also reducing the number of deaths! It’s a Public Health intervention that really works if people actually put it into practice.
Don’t put the health care system in a bind. It’s already being strained. Do what you can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Keep your distance! Flatten the curve!
Do Your Part
I think all of the closures over the past few days have really opened everyone’s eyes. Hopefully, we’ll all start taking COVID-19 more seriously! Buying toilet paper isn’t going to solve this crisis. Wash your hands, sanitize surfaces around you, cover your cough and sneeze. But, to make an even bigger impact, practice social distancing by avoiding crowds and mass gatherings. That means no birthday parties or playdates. Keep your distance (6-10 feet) from other people if you must go out. Limit interactions with others outside your home until this pandemic dies down. The sooner we can stop the spread, the sooner we can all get back to our normal lives!
So, to be clear – Why are schools closed for Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Social Distancing!
What are your thoughts on COVID-19 school closures and social distancing? Leave them in the comments below!
Plus, check out these other helpful COVID-19 posts:
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Protecting Your Kids
Keeping Kids Busy While Social Distancing
Maintaining Your Marriage While Social Distancing
The Positive Side of Social Distancing
If you’re looking for natural remedies to treat some of the more common pediatric illnesses, fill out the box below! You’ll get a helpful Natural Remedies printable to keep on hand, plus access to my Resource Library filled with other handy printables. As a bonus, you’ll get my weekly newsletter filled with encouragement, my lessons learned, and tips on making it through this journey as a working wife and mom.
Want to save or share this article, Why Are Schools Closed For Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Pin it below!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks