New information has revealed that children may get severely sick from Covid-19 related inflammatory!
For a long time parents have been comforted by the fact that their children are not at risk of getting sick from the Covid 19 virus; that may change.
New reports have surfaced showing that children are at risk of getting severely sick from Covid 19 related inflammatory disease (see).
According to the New York Times, 147 children were hospitalized in New York due to the mysterious Covid 19 related inflammatory disease.
There is a lot that is unknown about the Covid 19 virus. Information keeps changing. The World Health Organization (see) has issued an alert about this inflammatory disease. It has requested local clinicians to work with health officials in collecting more information about this disease.
South Africa is reopening schools next week, stating that their plans were approved by the National Command Council.
Here are the worrying facts:
- Experts are still studying the virus; new information may surface as it has with this inflammatory disease linked to Covid 19 on children.
- France reported 70 new cases in their schools after reopening.
- Countries who have reopened schools have gone past their peak, South Africa has not!
- There is a reason why there are winter school holidays, because it’s winter and it gets very cold for children in the Rural areas; this may cause other sicknesses over and above the Covid 19 virus. When children get sick, they may have to go to clinic accompanied by grannies; are the clinics ready for the large amounts of people seeking help in winter including children?
- Majority of children in South Africa are raised by grannies. You do the math!
- Majority of children in South Africa are sickly and lack proper nutrition, yes they may get fed in schools, but they can also get fed at home through various NGOs.
- Who will Monitor the food prepared for children? From the shop/farm to the kitchen where it’s prepared, how garaunteed are we that safety measures are in place throughout the process?
- Have we studied the affects of wearing a face mask for an extended period of time? Grade 7 children may be tempted to run around chasing each other. What’s going to happen as they breath in and out the same stuff trapped in the face mask?
The risk is too great!
Many parents from affluent communities have pushed for schools to reopen, and they have succeeded. Yes their children may have the ability to keep to all the safety measures, but that’s not going to be the case in townships and rural areas.
If a child dies while attending school and it was found that it was due to Covid 19 related complications, what then? Will the School Management Team take full responsibility for that death? Children and teachers have killed each other on schools premises, and the DBE remained silent, provided no answers with regards to the security in schools. The track record of the DBE proves parents and other stakeholders doubts correct. It’s a wrong period to win that trust again. Improve the infrastructure in our schools, provide security, then the public may trust you during the difficult and uncertain times.
It has been predicted that 40000 people will die of Covid 19 in South Africa. Yes I know it’s just the number…until you put a face in that number. Please do put a face of a teacher in that number, please do put a face of a child in that number, put a face of a granny who will get the virus from her grandchild coming from school, and yes maybe put your own face in that number as a teacher, a learner and an official!
People may get the virus from anywhere. Do we want to take our chances with children? The same government applauded by the affluent community for reopening schools will be under fire and be dragged to court should one child in these affluent schools die of Covid 19 related issues!
The risk chosen by the Department of Basic Education lacks basic logic.
One would hope that the Department of Basic Education Minister and her officials are not driven by the need to show who is in charge! It’s clear that there are elements of power play within the sector.
Let us hope that children are not used as pawns to winning the chess game.
No one underplays the importance of Education, and children are sitting at home anxious to return to school. Teachers miss their children and visa versa; but these are abnormal times. We should be pro-life not pro-academic.
Mom Angie as u gogo (granny) needs to apply an element of a mother here not a politician.
Allow South Africa to go through its peak, then reopen schools, the risk would have subsided. A lot more information about the virus would have surfaced, better and well informed plans would been developed or improved.
To say that “those who are ready can reopen” shows a clear sign on who won the debate. Rather use the same energy and determination to upgrade schools infrastructure and security in Townships and Rural Schools.