NEWNAN, Ga. — While many children are returning to school virtually following the holiday break, many are also home sick.
Channel 2′s Wendy Corona spoke with a local doctor who said this is a dangerous time of year, especially for children who are immunocompromised.
Dr. Cecil Bennett from Newnan Family Medicine says there is currently a large volume of children becoming more seriously ill and going to the hospital that are facing dual infections.
“When we look at children and respiratory illnesses, we’re at the peak of that season right now,” Bennett said. “Very young children are susceptible to croup, or bronchiolitis or other type of respiratory infections. If they get COVID, they’re at higher risk of having severe disease and hospitalizations.”
Last year at this time, with no vaccine for children, the metro area saw fewer infections which Bennett credits to mask wearing and other precautions.
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But he told Corona that’s not the case anymore since COVID-19 protocols were relaxed.
“We have more children with the common cold, more children with flu symptoms and more people with omicron,” Bennett said.
While the new semester will start virtually for many, Bennett suggests if your child is of the age to get the vaccine and booster, they should.
He also said when you go out and return to school, protect yourself with what works.
“If we actually went back to insisting that everyone wear a proper KN95 mask, it protects you from giving COVID to someone and protects someone from giving COVID to you, we’d be in a completely different picture right now,” Bennett said.
Bennett warns that once a child is infected with one virus, they become even more immunocompromised which leads to the possibility of being infected by other viruses.
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