COVID does not scare parent

Despite the massive increase in the number of COVID-19 cases on the island, a St Andrew parent whose children have contracted the virus twice, says she is not fearful of sending them out to classes.

The parent, who is also a teacher, is currently quarantined at home with her three children. All four of them tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week.

She said that her children -- ages 11, nine and five -- are eager to return to face-to-face classes and are disappointed that they did not get to start already.

"My children are sociable beings and I know that being back at school is what's best for them, especially my son who will be doing PEP because he will be able to ask his teacher more questions and get more help and feedback," the parent said.

The woman, who is fully vaccinated, told THE WEEKEND STAR that the virus has not severely affected the children, who have mild coughing and sniffles. She said that when they contracted the virus last March, her two youngest children only had symptoms for three days, while her eldest had symptoms for a week.

"The first time they had it was not that severe and now all they have is some flu-like symptoms, so even if they go to school and catch it again, I'm not that concerned because I already know how COVID affects them, and they have no underlining conditions," the parent said.

Data worldwide has shown that the children and young adults have not been adversely affected by the virus, that has been attributed to the deaths of nearly 5.5 million people. In Jamaica, 13 of the 2,486 persons who have died from COVID-19 are children and young people under 19 years old.

Since Jamaica recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus in March 2020, schools have, for the most part, closed their doors and have adapted an online modality.

Schools re-opened briefly on a few occasions, but the vast majority of students have been forced to attend online classes. The Government has flung the doors open for a full resumption of face-to-face classes.

"I'm ready for face-to-face because online wasn't really the best for my students. They need interaction and require more attention, so I'm ready to get back in the classroom for my students," the parent said. But she said that she understands why parents of children with underlining health problems like asthma would fear sending them out.

"Also, I'm concerned about how or if teachers will be able to enforce protocols and control the children because children will always be children wanting to play and interact with each other," said the parent. She was due to start classes in the face-to-face setting next Monday. However, with the leadership at her school insisting that staff members furnish a negative COVID test, she was forced to get a swab. It was then that she discovered that a sniffle, which she believed to have been the flu, was in fact COVID.