Tacoma pediatrician: Kids need to return to school; COVID quarantine taking big toll

The last few months have been unprecedented times for all of us. As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the globe, our Tacoma community has faced challenges we never anticipated or imagined.

As a pediatrician serving low-income families in Tacoma, I have a unique perspective on the impact this pandemic has had on the children of our community.

Every day I see teenagers with increasing depression related to the social isolation demanded of quarantine.

I listen as students with a history of prior academic success share their burden of anxiety over declining spring semester grades and the conviction that they just aren’t able to learn virtually.

I see young children with developmental delays who for months have not been able to access much-needed therapy services that were previously provided by the schools.

I listen to devoted parents in agony over how they are going to earn the income required to meet their family’s basic needs while also ensuring their children have a safe place to be during the day.

I see escalating levels of family stress that put children at greater risk for neglect and abuse.

And so my heart was broken when I learned in late July that school districts in Pierce County would not be opening for in-person learning this fall.

Our children need to be in school. They need to be engaged with other children and adults outside of those who live in their homes.

In our endeavors to fight COVID-19 we cannot lose sight of the much bigger picture of our children’s physical and mental health. And while all children are impacted, we need to understand that it is those with health disparities, special needs and living in low-income homes who are likely to suffer the most.

There is so much about this virus that we do not understand but we know a lot about safety and prevention.

Every day at work I face the risk of COVID-19 exposure. I meet with parents who are essential workers. I treat kids with symptoms of COVID-19. I spend a day each week working at Community Health Care’s drive-thru COVID testing site.

And I do all of this without fear because I understand the evidenced-based protection offered by appropriate PPE, good hand hygiene and social distancing.

We must keep our teachers safe and we should do so with the same evidence-based approach. The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Statement on Reopening Schools outlines safe and practical steps we can take to get kids back in the classroom.

We must implement physical distancing, face coverings, frequent hand washing and environmental cleaning. Classrooms should be cohorted to minimize the number of students and educators in contact with each other throughout the day.

We need to increase testing capabilities to allow the quick identification of any child or educator with COVID-19. And we need to consider novel approaches to education, such as the outdoor classrooms proposed by a Seattle Public Schools work group and supported by the Washington Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics..

In the midst of this pandemic we cannot leave behind our children. We must continue to pursue their holistic physical, emotional, social and developmental health. They are our future.

Dr. Lisa Friesema has worked as a pediatrician for nine years at Community Health Care’s Eastside Clinic, located in the Salishan housing development in Tacoma. She grew up in University Place, where she now makes her home..