Aug. 2—The first day of school is fast approaching for school districts across Oklahoma, and COVID-19 is fast spreading through the state again.

With many kids too young to be vaccinated against the virus, a more-transmissible strain circulating and the near-certainty that school districts won’t be able to require masks for now, some parents and educators are concerned. Health experts are, too.

“It worries me because, last year, our kids did pretty well. But we had smaller class sizes between the kids split virtual and in-person,” said Dr. Erin Corbin, a Mercy pediatrician. “We were masking, I think we were a little bit more united in our decisions on how to protect ourselves.”

Another pediatrician, Dr. Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq, who owns Peace of Mind Pediatrics in Del City, said she’s already seeing plenty of patients with RSV. And with in-person school resuming soon, she said she expects to see “a wave of COVID that is going to be coming in.”

“But it’s not just going to be COVID — it’s going to be COVID, it’s going to be rhinovirus. It’s going to be RSV, it’s going to be strep, it’s going to be croup — all of those we have right now,” she said.

Experts said while kids seem to be largely faring well so far with COVID-19, there’s minimal data on whether the delta variant affects children more severely than previous strains. But what’s sure is that it is much more contagious, and children are among the least vaccinated populations.

Given the uncertainty around the new school year, we asked the experts: what can schools and families do to keep kids safe and healthy as they return to the classroom? Here’s what they said.

What schools can do

The CDC, doctors, health leaders and medical associations agree: masking is key to having a safe in-person learning environment. This week, when the CDC issued new mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, it also recommended universal indoor masking for students, teachers, staff and visitors in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

In new guidance from the state Health Department and the state Department of Education, “universal and correct use of masks” is prevention strategy No. 1 on its list.

But school districts won’t be able to require masks unless the governor declares a state of emergency. He signed Senate Bill 658 into law this year, which only gives school districts the power to require masks during a state of emergency.

Even as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have climbed dramatically in just a few weeks, the governor has said he is not planning to issue such an order.

But schools can — and should — recommend masks, even though they can’t require them, doctors said. Many districts, including Oklahoma City Public Schools, are strongly encouraging masks.

“I don’t think there’s any question that masking is the single greatest mitigation strategy we have outside of vaccinations,” said Dr. Cameron Mantor, chief medical officer for Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health.

Abdul-Haqq, the Del City pediatrician, said it’s important that adults in schools also model responsible behavior like mask-wearing.

Distancing and handwashing are also crucial. Limiting class sizes could allow for easier physical distancing, and keeping kids grouped together during the day could help limit any spread of COVID-19 or other viruses, said Corbin, the Mercy pediatrician.

“If it’s nice, get as much outside learning and activities as possible,” Corbin said. “I think all of that can help diminish the spread.”

What parents can do

If their children are over 12, get them vaccinated, doctors recommended.

“From all of the data that we have so far, vaccination is extremely safe. It’s very effective. And it really is one of our best tools to protect against the disease,” said Dr. Amy Middleman, chief of adolescent medicine at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health. “The choice for me as a parent was clear: my children are vaccinated. And I recommend that, for their protection, my patients also get vaccinated.”

For parents of kids too young to be vaccinated, “the greatest thing that parents can do for their kids and their neighbor’s kids is to get vaccinated,” said Mantor, of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.

Parents can also encourage their kids to wear masks when they’re at school and talk with their children about how masking is a way to protect others, doctors said.

“As a parent, we can set a really good example for our kids and wear a mask and talk about why it’s important,” Corbin said. “It’s not just about us. We know kids do well [with COVID], but we don’t want to get ... the bus driver or your teacher sick, either.”

If children haven’t worn masks in a while, it’s a good idea to practice now and help them ease back into it, Corbin said.

Doctors also said parents should keep kids home if they’re sick. Don’t assume that a cough or a runny nose is just allergies, especially if allergy medicine isn’t keeping those symptoms at bay, Abdul-Haqq said.

Abdul-Haqq said she believes in-person learning is important for kids. But for families for whom that’s not an option, she encouraged parents to make sure their kids still stay active.

“If you don’t want them to socialize with other people, that’s perfectly fine,” she said. “But get them out of the house.”

Middleman said it’s important that parents whose kids will be learning online this year to ensure they have ways to safely socialize. Whether in-person or virtual, parents should look out for signs that their child is depressed, isolated or anxious, as the pandemic has brought increased rates of kids struggling with mental health issues, she said.

Adolescence in particular is a time for lots of change for kids, Middleman said, so regular sleep, eating and exercise routines help provide needed structure and stability.

“This is a pandemic, and the journey has been already so unpredictable,” Middleman said. “Making sure we can reassure teenagers that we are going to take every step we can to keep them safe — that’s really important. I think kids understand that there’s been uncertainty and they need to be reassured that, historically, we will get through this.”

To find a vaccination appointment near you, go to vaccines.gov. COVID-19 vaccines are free and readily available at a number of locations, including grocery stores, pharmacies and local health departments.