19 FUNDS.
LESTER?
>> LET’S GO TO OUR FAMILY OF
OUR FAMILY OF PANELISTS.
WE HAVE SOME
VIEWER-PARENTS
QUESTIONS.
I THINK ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT
FRUSTRATES PEOPLE
IS THAT THIS IS
A MOVING TARGET.
WE FEEL LIKE WE
ARE PLAYING
AMATEUR
EPIDEMIOLOGIST.
DO YOU THINK WE
HAVE ENOUGH
INFORMATION
RIGHT NOW TO
REALLY MAKE
INFORMED CHOICES
IN THIS AREA?
>> THAT’S A VERY
GOOD QUESTION,
LESTER.
IN FACT, I’M
VERY CONCERNED
THAT WE DON’T
HAVE ENOUGH
INFORMATION.
NOR DO THE
EXPERTS HAVE
ENOUGH
INFORMATION.
IT’S NOT JUST
PARENTS ARE
STRUGGLING.
WE ARE ALL
STRUGGLING WITH
THIS.
IT’S ALL
PERSONAL, BUT IS
ALSO A MATTER OF
PUBLIC POLICY.
WE ARE ABOUT TO
DO A MASSIVE
NATIONAL
EXPERIMENT
INVOLVING ABOUT
55 MILLION OR 56
CHILDREN WHO
WILL BE GOING
BACK TO SOME
FORM OF EITHER
REMOTE LEARNING
OR A HYBRID
VERSION ARE BACK
IN CLASSROOMS.
WE HAVE A LOT TO
WORRY ABOUT AND
BE CONCERNED
ABOUT.
MAYBE WE ARE
MOVING TOO
QUICKLY TO GET
CHILDREN BACK
INTO SCHOOLS.
MANY SCHOOLS
WON’T HAVE THE
VENTILATION
SYSTEMS IN PLACE
THEY WILL NEED.
EVEN THOUGH THEY
MAY BE
PRACTICING
HANDWASHING AND
DISTANCING ALL
THAT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF
CONCERNS,
INCLUDING ME
PERSONALLY WITH
FOUR
GRANDCHILDREN IN
NEW YORK PUBLIC
HEALTH SYSTEMS.
A LOT FOR
PARENTS TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT
AND TRY TO
PROCESS.
>> LET’S GET
SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT
WERE SUBMITTED
BY THE ADULTS.
DR. TORRES, THIS
QUESTION, I AM A
PARENT OF A 15-
YEAR-OLD WHO IS
ABOUT TO BEGIN
THE 10th GRADE.
MY CONCERN IS
WHEN FLU SEASON
HITS, WHAT ARE
THE EXPERTS’
RECOMMENDATIONS
WHEN IT COMES TO
COUGHING,
SNEEZING, AND
RUNNING NOSES?
>> SHE IS A
GREAT QUESTION.
TYPICALLY, IN A
FLU AND COLD
SEASON, COST,
SEASONED, RUNNY
NOSE, THOSE HELP
THE VIRUS
SPREAD.
WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE
COVER UP AND
WASH THEIR HANDS
PLENTY OF TIME.
THE MESSAGE WE
USUALLY GIVE
OUT.
THE DIFFERENCE
BEING THAT THIS
YEAR, FOR THE
PAST TWO MONTHS,
WE HAVE BEEN
PRACTICING
COVERING UP AND
WEARING MASKS.
WE HAVE BEEN
SOCIAL
DISTANCING,
TALKING ABOUT
WASHING HER
HANDS AND DOING
THAT MANY TIMES.
WE THINK THOSE
MEASURES THAT
ARE HELPING KEEP
CORONAVIRUS
UNDER CONTROL OR
AT LEAST TRYING
TO, WILL HELP
KEEP FLU UNDER
CONTROL BUT THAT
IS WHAT WE ARE
SEEN IN
DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE WORLD
WHERE THE FLU
HAS ALREADY
BEEN.
THE FLU CASES
SEEM TO BE LESS
IN NUMBER THAN
IN A TYPICAL
YEAR.
AND AGAIN, DOING
THOSE THREE
MEASURES,
WEARING MASKS,
WASHING YOUR
HANDS, WATCHING
SOCIAL
DISTANCING, ARE
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT.
ANOTHER
IMPORTANT POINT
IS TO MAKE SURE
YOU GET THE FLU
SHOT THIS YEAR
LIKE MANY
EXPERTS HAVE
TALKED ABOUT.
IT’S IMPORTANT
TO KEEP A LITTLE
UNDER CONTROL SO
WE CAN START
WORKING ON
GETTING
CORONAVIRUS
UNDER CONTROL,
LESTER.
>> ANOTHER
QUESTION.
IF OCCUPANCY
PERCENTAGES ARE
BEING ENFORCED
INDOORS AT
RESTAURANTS,
SHOULD THE SAME
SCIENCE
INFORMING THAT
THEY USE FOR
SCHOOLS,
INDOORS?
WHAT CONTRARY
SIGNS ALLOWS FOR
SCHOOLS TO
SAFELY REOPEN
BUT INDOOR
DINING TO BE
RESTRICTED?
DR. REDLENER,
HOW ARE THE TWO
DIFFERENT?
>> THAT’S A
REALLY GREAT
QUESTION,
LESTER.
IN FACT, I’M
EVEN MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT
CHILDREN
GATHERING IN
CLOSED SPACES.
I THINK WE HAVE
A LOT OF
THINKING TO DO
ABOUT WHETHER WE
DEMAND OR EVEN
REQUEST THAT
PARENTS CONSIDER
PUTTING THEIR
KIDS BACK IN THE
CLASSROOMS
WITHOUT THE
PROPER
PROTECTIONS THAT
WE ARE GIVING IN
MANY OTHER
SETTINGS WHERE
PEOPLE ARE
GATHERING.
DON’T FORGET, A
LOT OF CHILDREN
ARE GOING TO BE
CARRIERS OF THIS
CORONAVIRUS AND
WILL BE CAPABLE
OF SPREADING THE
VIRUS IN
CLASSROOMS IF
ALL THE
PRECAUTIONS ARE
NOT TAKEN.
I PERSONALLY
WOULD BE LEANING
TOWARDS AS MUCH
REMOTE LEARNING
AS POSSIBLE FOR
THOSE FAMILIES
THAT CAN DO IT.
BUT IN THE
MEANTIME, THE
QUESTION REMAINS
VERY PERTINENT,
WHY IN
RESTAURANTS ARE
THE RULES
DIFFERENT THAN
THEY WOULD BE IN
CLASSROOMS WHERE
OUR CHILDREN ARE
VERY, VERY
VULNERABLE?
>> WE HAVE
ANOTHER QUESTION,
DR. REDLENER.
STEPHANIE REITZ,
MY BIGGEST
QUESTION IS KIDS
WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS.
WHAT IS GOING TO
BE AVAILABLE TO
THEM IF DIFFERENT
DISTANCE WARNINGS
LEARNING.
>> Reporter:
ABSOLUTELY.
A LOT OF THOSE
KIDS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS OR
EVEN EDUCATIONAL
NEEDS THAT GO
ABOVE THE AVERAGE
WILL BE
STRUGGLING IF
THEY ARE NOT
BACK IN THE
CLASSROOM.
WHAT NEEDS TO
HAPPEN HERE IS
WE NEED TO GET A
LOT MORE MONEY
AND FUNDING
SUPPORT FROM THE
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, FROM
THE STATE
GOVERNMENT, FROM
THE DISTRICTS TO
MAKE SURE THOSE
CHILDREN ARE
GETTING EXACTLY
WHAT THEY NEED.
THIS IS A GREAT
TIME FOR PARENTS
TO REALLY SEE
THEIR ROLE AS
ADVOCATES. IF
YOU FEEL LIKE
YOUR CHILDREN
ARE NOT GETTING
WHAT THEY NEED
AND THEY DO HAVE
SPECIAL NEEDS,
GO TO THE SCHOOL.
GO TO THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
GO TO YOUR
LEGISLATORS AND
DEMAND THAT
THESE CHILDREN
WILL GET THE
EXTRA SUPPORT
THEY HAVE BEEN
NEEDY, NO MATTER
WHAT IT TAKES.
IT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT.
THERE CAN BE
SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENTS
MADE FOR YOUR
CHILDREN. WE
NEED TO BEND
OVER BACKWARDS
TO MAKE SURE
THAT NO CHILD IS
LEFT BEHIND IN
TERMS OF
EDUCATION, AND
IN PARTICULAR,
THOSE KIDS WITH
MORE NEEDS THAN
A TYPICAL CHILD.
>> THIS QUESTION
CAME IN
ANONYMOUSLY.
HOMESCHOOLING MY
13-YEAR-OLD
HASN’T BEEN SO
BAD.
IT IS FEAR AND
ANXIETY THAT I
STRUGGLE WITH.
DO EXPECT ADULTS
TO FIX ALL OF
IT?
WHAT DO YOU SAY
TO THIS.?
>> I WANT TO SAY
THAT I THINK IT
IS SO IMPORTANT
THAT WE GET HELP
AND RECOGNIZE
THE SYMPTOMS OF
ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION IN
YOUNG PEOPLE BUT
OFTEN IT MIGHT
BE THAT THEY ARE
NOT SLEEPING THE
WAY THEY USED TO
OR SLEEPING TOO
MUCH.
HER APPETITE HAS
CHANGED.
THEIR SELF-CARE
AND GROOMING IS
NOT THERE.
THE GRADES ARE
SLIPPING.
THEIR INTEREST
IN PLEASURABLE
ACTIVITIES IS
NOT BE.
I WOULD SAY I’M
SO GLAD THAT
THIS PAIR IS
RECOGNIZING THE
NEED FOR MENTAL
HEALTH HELP AND
TO GET IT.
IF YOU ARE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO HAVE
HEALTH
INSURANCE,
TURNED THE BACK
OF THE CARD.
CALL THE NUMBER.
FIND OUT ABOUT
TELEHEALTH
THERAPY OPTIONS.
IF A GUIDANCE
COUNSELOR IS
AVAILABLE AT
SCHOOL, HAVE THE
STUDENT TALK
ABOUT IT.
EVEN TALK ABOUT
IT AT HOME.
WHAT KIDS ARE
CRATING AND WHAT
THEY LOST WERE
IN-PERSON
CONNECTIONS.
THEY LOST
STRUCTURE,
SUPPORT,
STIMULATION.
IS VERY HARD TO
ASK PARENTS TO
EMULATE A REGULAR
6-8 HOUR SCHOOL
DAY.
WE NEED TO GIVE
COMPASSION AND
GRACE TO THE
PARENTS OF THIS
A BIGGER DOING A
GREAT JOB.
I AM A PARENT
MYSELF, AND THE
HOMESCHOOLING, I
CAN TELL YOU, IT
IS NOT EASY.
PARENTS ARE
CONTENDING A
LOT.
THERE’S A LOT OF
THEIR PLACE.
IT HELPER
YOURSELF AS A
PAIR.
ALL OF US NEED
MENTAL HEALTH
SUPPORT AT THIS
TIME.
60% TO 80% ARE
EXPERIENCING
MORE STRESS AND
DEPRESSION.
IT WAS ALREADY ONE OUT OF FOUR
ONE OUT OF FOUR
ON A GOOD DAY.
>> IT’S SUCH AN
IMPORTANT PART
OF THIS