SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – California kids are not going to be required to wear masks at school this coming fall, despite the current COVID-19 surge due to the latest variants, BA. 4 and BA.5.
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While some say there are other protocols that can be used to keep staff and students safe, many health experts are advising people to keep their masks on.
These two new variants are the most transmissible of any COVID-19 variant we've encountered so far, according to Dr. John Swartzberg, a clinical professor emeritus at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health and infectious disease expert on KCBS Radio's "Ask an Expert" with Melissa Culross on Wednesday.
"We are dealing right now with a majority of the viruses circulating being BA.4 or BA.5," he said. BA.5 comprises almost all of them.
The dropping of mask mandates in April was quickly followed the next month by a COVID-19 surge, which doesn’t bode well for the coming months as school starts back up.
"Just in the last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics posted their most recent data showing there's now been an uptick again in cases in kids," he said.
"We're seeing an awful lot of transmission in children right now," said Swartzberg. "And that's in the summer."
While the recent approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5 could be a game changer, not enough of them will have been vaccinated by the fall in order to make a huge difference.
"I think it's really likely we're going to see an increase in cases," he said. "And that’s independent of whether or not there’s a new variant."
The bottom line is that people need to be able to pivot as quickly as possible to adapt to whatever new surges or variants may arise.
If a surge is happening, some safety procedures, like masking, need to be brought back.
"When I think about mitigation, I love the idea that people have used of a 'swiss cheese' defense," said Swartzberg. "Where, the virus is on one side of a block of swiss cheese, and the person is on the other. And for the virus to get through, it’s got to go through all these holes that are lined up."
All those slices need to be lined up in order to best defend against the virus, he said.
The best way to protect oneself is still to get vaccinated. The next best thing is wearing a mask, that fits well.
Distancing is also helpful, but not easily done with kids, and wouldn't help much indoors.
Good ventilation is also really useful, but costs a lot of money and renovation in most indoor spaces, he said.
As for those families that decide to keep their kids masked at school, regardless of what the rules are, people should exercise compassion and support.
"We can't really make this an attack on each other," he said. Kids that might face teasing should make sure their parents are aware of the situation.
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