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Families weigh risks of normal activities for children amid delta variant surge

As students in central Ohio are already in class, parents are weighing what is safe and what is necessary.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — With the delta variant of COVID-19 surging, parents are back to weighing what is safe to do for children who are unable to get a vaccine. 

This is similar to a conversation last winter when vaccines were not readily available to anyone who wanted one in the United States.

Dr. Anup Kanodia of OhioHealth and KanodiaMD says it's all about risk level. Kanodia considers crowds a high risk of transmission, so it is up to a parent to determine if the risk level is absolutely necessary.

As students in central Ohio are already in class, parents are weighing what is safe and what is necessary.

“We want to balance out the mental health of a child and making decisions on what is the lowest risk thing we can do but still live life,” said Dr. Kanodia. “Kids still need daycare. Kids still need after-school activities. We need that as parents to have our kids do those things for our own mental health.”

Kanodia says the best way for children under the age of 12 to prevent infection is to wear 3-ply or more protective masks, such as N95 or KN95, to stay safe.

Parents need children to stay active for their own mental health as well.

Indoor activities are still risky compared to being outdoors. Kanodia recommends opening windows or buying a quality air filtration system to circulate air when playing indoors.

Dr. Kanodia hosted an hour-long webinar on the delta variant, vaccines and boosters. He answered questions and shared tips on making your immune system stronger to help fight off COVID-19 infection.

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