>>> GOING BACK TO SCHOOL IS
ALWAYS A STRESSFUL TIME.
THIS YEAR THERE’S A WHOLE NEW
SET OF ISSUES PARENTS AND KIDS
NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
>> SO GLAD TO HAVE DR. NATALIE
AZAR HERE TO ANSWER OUR
QUESTIONS ABOUT BACK-TO-SCHOOL
SAFETY.
OF COURSE, OUR NBC NEWS MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR.
DR. NATALIE, WE NEED YOU!
>> OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
SO THERE WERE JUST NEW
GUIDELINES RELEASED TODAY.
WE DID A STORY IN EARLIER HOURS
SAYING SIX FEET APART MAY NOT BE
ENOUGH.
>> I KNOW.
SO THIS, YOU GUYS -- IT REALLY
IS PREDICATED ON THE CONCEPT OF
HOW THIS VIRUS SPREADS, AND WE
KNOW THAT THE RESPIRATORY
DROPLET SPREAD IS PROBABLY THE
PRIMARY MODE.
THAT’S WHERE SIX FEET IS
IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THOSE
RESPIRATORY DROPLETS, IF THEY
DON’T FIND A HOST TO LAND ON
THEY DROP TO THE FLOOR.
THE CONCERN REALLY IS ABOUT THE
AEROSOL DROPLETS.
THEY ARE LIGHTER.
THEY TRAVEL FURTHER, AND THEY
CAN HANG OUT FOR A LONGER PERIOD
OF TIME.
SO THAT’S WHY IN A CLOSED OFFICE
SPACE WITH POOR VENTILATION, SIX
FEET MAY VERY WELL NOT BE
ENOUGH.
AND IN A SEGUE TO OUR SCHOOL
CONVERSATION, THAT’S WHY IN THE
CLASSROOM IF YOU DON’T HAVE
WINDOWS OPEN AND YOU HAVE
ANTIQUATED VENTILATION SYSTEMS
SIX FEET APART DESKS MAY NOT BE
SUFFICIENT.
WHY SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE
TRYING TO HOLD CLASSES OUT OF
DOORS, MITIGATING THAT CONCERN.
>> YES.
GET TO THE SAFETY ROUTINES
NEEDED TO SET UP IF OUR KIDS ARE
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL.
>> YEAH.
LOOK, I THINK YOU CAN NEVER BE
TOO YOUNG TO START THESE GOOD
HABITS.
WHEN YOU SEND YOUR CHILD TO
SCHOOL, THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS I THINK THEY NEED TO
HAVE, HAND SANITIZER AND’S A
MASK.
>> YES.
>> UH-HUH.
>> AND MAYBE A BACKUP MASK,
MAYBE.
NOT MAYBE.
HAVE THEM BRING A BACKUP MASK
BECAUSE OF HOW KIDS ARE.
THEY CAN ARE SURGICAL.
IF CLOTH HAVE TWO LAYERS.
WHEN THE CHILD COMES HOME FROM
SCHOOL.
FIRST THING TO DO, WASH THEIR
HANDS AND WASH THE CLOTH MASK.
THE QUESTION, HOW FREQUENTLY DO
YOU WASH THE CLOTH MASK?
ACCORDING TO CDC, PRETTY MUCH
EVERY DAY STICK IT IN LAUNDRY
WITH REGULAR BELONG LOAD, WASH
BY HAND.
>> ONE PIECE OF ADVICE PUT THE
MASK ON THEIR KID WHILE THEY’RE
DOING SCREEN TIME TO GET USED TO
IT IF SCHOOL HASN’T STARTED YET.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE HALEY ON SIX
HOURS OF MASK WEARING.
I’M KIDDING.
NOT THAT MUCH.
>> A GOOD THING TO DO FOR LITTLE
KIDS.
>> IT WORKS.
A STICKING POINT, HOW TO KIDS
GET TO SCHOOL WITHOUT GETTING
SICK?
>> CARPOP ING PCARPULLING, IDEAL
AMOUNT OF KIDS IN THE CAR,
WINDOWS OPEN.
WEARING A MASK.
IN A BUS, HOPEFULLY WINDOWS ARE
OPEN.
IF THERE ARE ASSIGNED SEATS,
STAY IN THE SAME SEAT EACH TIME.
YOU LOAD THE BUS BACK TO FRONT,
AND YOU UNLOAD FRONT TO BACK.
OF COURSE, AS ALWAYS, THE CDC
JUST UPDATED GUIDANCE ON
TRANSPORTATION.
ANOTHER GOOD THING TO LOOK AT.
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS TO
THINK ABOUT.
MASKS, OPEN WINDOWS, SAME GROUP
OF PEOPLE, SAME SPOT IF YOU CAN.
>> TALK ABOUT SPORTS.
SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSED
KIDS ARE CITY PLAYING ORGANIZED
SPORTS.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT?
>> SEEMS LIKE A DISCONNECT.
THINK ABOUT IT.
DOESN’T NEED TO BE.
MOST OF THE SPORTS ARE HELD
OUTDOORS AND WE DEFINITELY KNOW
THAT THE VIRUS DOES NOT
CIRCULATE AS WELL OUTDOORS AS IT
DOES INDOORS.
THERE’S A LOT OF GUIDANCE THAT
HAS BEEN GIVEN TO COACHES HOW TO
SAFELY CONTACT OUTDOOR SPORTS.
SOME OF THAT INCLUDES THE
BASICS.
LIKE MASK-WEARING AND SOCIAL
DISTANCING
DISTANCING.
ALITY ALSO HAS TO DO WITH, DO
YOU SCRIMMAGE AND PLAY
TOURNAMENTS?
VERSUS JUST DOING CALISTHENICS
AND CONDITIONING?
EACH TIME YOU EXPOSE PEOPLE TO
MORE PEOPLE YOU RISK
TRANSMISSION.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE SCRIMMAGING
OR DOING TOURNAMENTS WITH PEOPLE
NOT IN YOUR LOCAL GEOGRAPHIC
AREA.
>> SURE.
>> AGAIN, SOUND LIKE A BROKEN
RECORD.
GOOD GUIDANCE ON THIS.
THE OTHER THING, MY DAUGHTER,
SOFTBALL SEASON THIS SUMMER, A
LOT OF KIDS, SO GOOD FOR THEM.
BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT THEY’RE
YAU OUTDOORS WITH THEIR FRIENDS.
AS AGENTS ANECDOTE, JUST AN
ADD-IN.
SOMETIMES MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE
PARENTS THAN THE KIDS.
THE KIDS LOVE BEING WITH EACH
OTHER AND BEING OUTDOORS AND
PLAYING THE SPORT THEY LOVE.
>> ONE LAST AND VERY IMPORTANT
QUESTION --
IF YOU FIND OUT SOMEONE IN YOUR
KIDS’ SCHOOL HAS TESTED
POSITIVE, AS A PARENT, WHAT
SHOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR KID?
>> SO HERE’S THE THING.
THIS IS WHERE YOU GUYS,
TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION
FROM YOUR DISTRICT IS SO
IMPORTANT.
SCHOOLS NEED TO BE FOLLOWING
THEIR GOVERNOR’S GUIDELINES AND
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
GUIDELINES AND NEED A PLAN OF
ACTION FOR IF THERE IS A
POSITIVE STUDENT.
DOES IT MEAN THAT THE WHOLE
CLASS IS IN QUARANTINE?
PROBABLY DOES.
DOES IT MEAN THE SCHOOL SHUTS
DOWN?
MAYBE NOT.
BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE
INSTRUCTIONAL PIECES SO THAT
THAT CLASSROOM CAN TRANSITION TO
ONLINE QUICKLY AFTER SOMEBODY
TESTS POSITIVE.
>> YEAH.
>> SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.
>> THANK YOU.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
WE’RE ADVOCATES FOR OUR KIDS,