July 14, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

As children go back to school why is it important that they wear masks?


By: Jeanelle Murphy, DO

As Covid-19 continues to thrive due to the delta variant it is more important than ever to protect our children who are not yet eligible for the Covid vaccine. The delta variant has proven to be more contagious than the prior strain of SARS-COV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) and it seems to affect children at a greater rate and severity than the prior strain. The estimated fatality rate of Covid 19 in the US is between 1.6-3% making it much more deadly than the flu which has an estimated fatality rate of 0.1%. It is also crucial that we do all we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus to those who are at greatest risk of severe infection and death: those who are unvaccinated, as well as those with weakened immune systems.

The most important tool we have to end this pandemic is vaccination however masking and social distancing are also essential tools.

Cloth masks consisting of three layers of fabric prevent 50-70% of infectious particles from spreading from an infected person to those around them. Masks also protect the wearer of the mask from Covid Infection by up to 70%. Studies have shown that up to 50% of infectious people do not have symptoms though they are capable of spreading Covid-19 to others, this includes vaccinated people who are less likely to have symptoms of Covid -19 and if they have symptoms they are more likely to be mild. Children are less likely to show symptoms than adults making it even more important for them to be masked to protect their classmates, teachers and other school contacts.

Research has shown that it is safe for children 2 years and older to wear cloth masks for an extended period of time. Oxygen and carbon dioxide freely exchange through cloth masks since these molecules are much smaller than Covid virus particles. School age children 7 years and up have shown to be accurate at interpreting emotions of others with partially covered faces making the social emotional concerns less of a concern. Clear masks are available if necessary for teachers of younger children and children can have plenty of mask free time outside and away from school with family. Children are resilient and can certainly adapt to wearing masks as has been shown in Asian countries where masks have been the norm for years.

Hopefully, if we all do our part with vaccination, masking and social distancing the pandemic will end in the near future and we can all live without the fear of Covid-19 for our children and our families.

in Life
Banner
Related Posts

10 things you don’t know about me… Brad Krall

February 20, 2019

February 20, 2019

Every week we ask an area resident to share 10 interesting facts about themselves. This week it is Brad Krall,...

SJO could return to full in-person instruction

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021

St. Joseph-Ogden High School is starting to plan for the future. Superintendent Brian Brooks said the school is looking into...

10 things you don’t know about me… Miss Sophia from Gallo Dance Studio

July 24, 2019

July 24, 2019

Every week we ask a village resident to share 10 fun facts about themselves. This week we caught up with...

CU Feed the Need to distribute food this week

August 26, 2020

August 26, 2020

CU Feed the need has even more food to distribute this week thanks to the St. Joseph Food Pantry. The...

10 Things You Don’t Know About Me… Kaitlyn Hess

February 13, 2019

February 13, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 facts about themselves. This week we spoke to St. Joseph-Ogden...

Hometown appeal: The Wheelhouse earns Business of the Year honors

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

When the Wheelhouse opened in 2017, it was unlike anything in St. Joseph. And still is. The farm-to-table restaurant owned...

Ask the doctor: Which internet resources can I trust for medical information?

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021

By Jeanelle Murphy, DO In this age of technology it is important to know what websites will give you accurate...

Get to know senior SJO Marching Band member Jo Schmitz

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

My favorite thing about marching band is the community. I made my best friends through the program. My favorite memory...

10 things about me….. Dana Rowland

April 3, 2019

April 3, 2019

You may know Dana Rowland as the co-chair of the SJO Post Prom Cash Bash but now you can get...

Benefit to be held for Fisher family

March 18, 2019

March 18, 2019

Next Saturday the St. Joseph IGA and Wagner Signs and Graphics are coming together for a good cause. From 7...

‘I am proud of all of us’ by Kristen Costa

June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020

To the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Class of 2020, when I began writing this speech, I didn’t even know where...

Kids say…

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

10 things you don’t know about me… Sue Esposito

March 13, 2019

March 13, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 things about themselves. This week it is Ogden Trustee Sue...

Ask the Doctor with Dr. Jeanelle Murphy

April 6, 2020

April 6, 2020

How much screen time should my child have? What are the pros and cons for letting a toddler or grade...

Live Blog for April 27, 2021

April 27, 2021

April 27, 2021

I am here at St. Joseph Village Board.No one else is here besides IT Guru Mike Sennert.May 5 is bike...

Comments
Leave a Reply