Masks Shouldn’t Be Mandated For Children. Here’s Why:
“Two weeks to slow the spread.” — this was the phrase we were told at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s crazy to think that statement should now be rendered “Two years to slow the spread…plus potentially more!”
When confronted with the pandemic, leaders across the globe knew that there would be costs that were overidden by the health worries about an unknown virus. Now, after 23 months, some people are questioning if it should be continued to be revered as the right approach moving forward.
Multiple things have changed since the start of the pandemic. To start, almost all those who have wanted to be immunized have had the opportunity to get vaccinated. Due to federal tax funding, the CDC has provided free vaccines for individuals five and older. In other words, if there are still people who want to get vaccinated that haven’t gotten the opportunity yet, they are in a very small minority.
With time, we have also received more-accurate scientific information on the hospitalization and death rates of the COVID-19 Pandemic. According to the CDC website, it was found that children 0–17 years old were less likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID (in comparison to 18–29-year-olds), versus people 85 years and older were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 340 times more likely to die from COVID. Judging by this data, it is safe to say that children aren’t considered the “at risk” population. And seeing by how 98.2% of COVID patients in the U.S. survive (with the overwhelming majority of deaths consisting of the elderly, at risk population), it’s difficult to make a strong case to force children to wear masks.
Those who are for mask mandates for children often cite the at-risk population health risk being too severe. While that is somewhat true, one must note that those who are more at-risk can still find ways to get around. Regardless of whatever regulations are put on children’s masking habits, it’s hard to think logically about what effect it could have on the at-risk population that is already isolating and masking.
Another counterclaim can be directed toward worries about the childrens’ physical health and some might even claim that they are part of the “at-risk” population. But despite these concerns, childrens’ immune systems are sublime (with exception to those with pre-existing conditions, which should err on the side of caution, for sure). We all remember getting the flu every fall after coming back to elementary school. Because of the lack of sanitation in younger groups, children tend to collect more germs than adults and, as a result, have well-operating immune systems.
But even physical health aside, other leaders in the community are considering even-bigger problems facing the younger generation.
“We have to ask ‘what are the needs?’ — the needs are going to be mental health. It’s the next frontier. Not just [for] spiritual leaders — it [also] involves other leaders in the community,” says Felix Arellano, the children’s pastor of Fort Collins’ largest congregation: Timberline Church. Arellano, serving in the role of children’s pastor in Colorado’s 5th-largest church (as of 2013), is certainly no stranger to child development.
It is fair to say that each child has somewhat of a different reaction, however one cannot help but see that children learn and develop communication skills much faster by being able to read lips.
Regardless of what side you’re on, we all can agree on this one thing: The biggest problem surrounding COVID is how much we don’t know about it. I would argue that the unknowns of the mental health side of it pose the greatest threat.
There is so much that we don’t know about the pandemic, not just surrounding physical health, but also the long-term effects it will have on mental health. We need to begin thinking about this other perspective before making any other big mask decisions.
It’s important to note that the people making the decisions surrounding mask mandates for children never had to experience them when they were younger. These children shouldn't have to either.
