Children are able to contract and spread COVID-19, according to local physicians, but may not exhibit symptoms.
Dr. Chris Montgomery and Dr. Michael Caldwell sat on an hour-long conference call with members of the public Thursday night to answer what questions they could about the virus. One of the questions brought up to them was the ability for children to contract COVID-19.
They are able to, Caldwell said, but since they’re younger and in general have stronger immune systems, they’re more likely to not show symptoms or only exhibit mild symptoms.
One in four people are spreading the virus without showing symptoms, Caldwell said, and statistically younger people are part of that.
The doctors were also asked about whether older family members, who are statistically more likely to contract the virus with severe symptoms, should avoid children in the family.
There is a determining factor, Caldwell said. If those children are staying at home and the family as a whole is remaining home with minimal potential exposure, there’s little reason to be concerned.
“However, in a daycare situation, boy, those are petri dishes for all kinds of germs and therefore that grandmother might be at increased risk,” he said. “I would ask the 70-year-old grandmother to try to not be exposed to those children, even asymptomatically.”
Where are we?
Caldwell explained that it’s hard to know exactly where Southeast Missouri is in the timeline of the virus.
However, he said, the community is likely in the middle of the beginning of the virus’ path.
“Until the testing is quicker in turnaround, and we’re optimistic that will be soon, that we won’t know as much in real time,” he said. “What I do know is that the science in the model, things that happened overseas things that have happened on the coast, things that have happened in the urban areas, what we expect and what we see with other illnesses as far as spread is happening.”
Caldwell said there is a positive that he feels the medical community is prepared in terms of telemedicine and the ability to treat people.
He also said the area will likely see a societal test when cases do start to slow down: will people maintain social distancing and other measures?
“Now we’re starting to see the good news, and (will we) still maintain our discipline, particularly as we come to a very important holiday weekend,” he said. “Now is the time for all of us to be really, really sensitive and extra discipline so that we can minimize (this).”
Caldwell recognized that there are people out there saying the medical community is overreacting to this virus, but he knows they aren’t.
Current projects say the area will reach the peak of the virus on April 21, but a few days ago projects said April 16. Both physicians emphasized that the situation is rapidly changing and what’s true today could be different tomorrow.
In terms of testing, Montgomery said in their clinic around 120 COVID-19 tests have been taken in the last two weeks. This does not count any other clinics in the area conducting tests.
Both said there’s hope for more and faster testing coming soon. Four tests came back positive in Butler County on Wednesday and they were taken about eight days prior, Montgomery said. Results are starting to come back quicker and he said, while they’d like to have results within minutes, a one-day turnaround would make the situation better.
Wear a mask
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that everyone wear a mask or fabric face covering when they go out in public. According to the CDC, this is about preventing the spread if you’re sick, but not showing symptoms.
The physicians explained that the COVID-19 virus can last up to three hours in the air and closer to 27 hours on hard plastic surfaces.
Masks are encouraged, therefore, to keep the virus contained if somebody who is sick coughs in public since the mask would catch those particles.
“I have personally worn a mask to the local grocery store for the last week to 10 days,” Montgomery said. “I have to tell you, I felt a little awkward, but then I walked in and I saw other people that I knew were smart, reasonable people and those people had masks on. Even as a quote unquote expert, it still made me feel much more at ease with my stuff. Once you do it once you feel good about protecting your family, or the general public from something that you may not know that you have been, I think it’s already become a pretty good habit.”
The conference call was likely the first of several, organized by Rep. Jeff Shawan, in an effort to get reliable and accurate information out to the public from local medical professionals.