Primary Children’s Hospital is preparing to see more COVID-19 cases as young students return to school. The hospital usually has surge plans in place for the flu and RSV, but now COVID-19 must be planned and prepared for as well.Director of hospital epidemiology Dr. Andrew Pavia says children in closed classrooms is a “perfect recipe for the spread of COVID-19.” He also says the surge of cases isn’t inevitable if students in every classroom wear a mask and eligible students get vaccinated.
Another issue Pavia says he worries about are the other viruses that were likely kept at bay by last year’s masking. He says last year, he saw no RSV or flu and that meant the hospital had extra beds to use to take care of children with COVID-19. This year, he worries those three viruses will take up many of the hospital's beds, leaving few or none for other illnesses or emergencies.
