Local doctors group: Mandate masks to keep their kids, yours in school this fall

A group of Nebraska doctors, all of them mothers and many with kids in school, told 3 News Now in an interview that the governor and school leaders should mandate masks if they want to keep kids in school and others safe.

VACCINATED.KIDS UNDER THE AGE O19FNOW MAKE UP MORE THAN A QUARTEROF THE CORONAVIRUS CASESN IDOUGLAS COUNTY.THAT’S THE HIGHEST OF ANYAGE GROUP... AND KIDS 5 TO 9YEARS OLD MAKE UP THE LARGESTSLICE OF NEW CASES.THEY CAN’T GET VACCINES ANDSCHOOL IS RIGHT AROUND THECORNER.***ON TOP OF THAT, DOCTORSSAY THE DELTA VARIANT... WHICHMAKES UP MOST OF THESE CASES...IS DIFFERENT... AND IT’S SENDINGMORE KIDS TO THE HOSPITAL.A GROUP OF LOCAL DOCTORS...ALL MOMS... REACHED OUT TO 3NEWS NOW INVESTIGATOR AARONSANDERFORD TO SHARE THEIRCONCERNS WITH HOW DISTRICTS AREPREPARING TO START THE SCHOOLYEAR.(B ROLL FROM CORONAVIRUSCOVERAGE OF PEOPLE BEING TESTEDOR OF RICKETTS TALKING TO ACROWD.)A GROWING NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUSINFECTIONS TARGETING YOUNGPEOPLE HASN’T CHANGED NEBRASKAGOV.

PETE RICKETTS’ POSITION ONREQUIRING MASKS IN THE STATE’SK-12 SCHOOLS.RICKETTS 0:47IF YOU’RE 10 TO 19, YOU’R’ 26MORE TIMES LIKELY TO DIE FROAMCAR ACCIDENT IN NEBRASKA THANYOU ARE FROM COVID.

I THINK MORECHILDREN DIED FROM THE FLU LASTYEAR THAN DIED FROM COVID.

SOTHERE ISN’T ANY SCIENTIFICREASON TO PUT A MASK ON A CHILDBECAUSE THEY’RE NOT AT RISK.

SOHAVING MASKS BEING OPTIONAL IS AFINE POLICY.BUT A GROUP OF NRAEBSKA DOCTORSWITH KIDS IN SCHOOL SAYS THEGOVERNOR AND SCHOOL LEADERSSHOULD MANDATE MASKS IF EYTHWANT TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL ANDOTHERS SAFE FROM THE DELTAVARIANT.THIS WEEK, 13 DOCTORS, ALL OFTHEM MOMS, SAT DOWN WITH 3 NEWSNOW INVESTIGATS ORTO DISCUSSWHAT SOME POLITICIANS ANDPARENTS ARE MISSG.INDR. CHRISTINE MITCHELL HELDPEORGANIZED THE INTERVIEW.

SHE’’WORRIED ABOUT HER CHILDREN’SHEALTH, AND THE HEALTH OF HERHUSBAND, WHO HAD A HEARTTRANSPLANT FIVE YEARS AGO.MITCHELL 17:24THIS VIRUS, IT CHANGES.

THENDPAEMIC CHANGES, AND WE KIND OFHAVE TO CHANGE OUR POLICIES WITHIT.

WHEN COVID, WHEN THE SPREADWAS LOW, PRIOR TO THE DELTAVARIANT, THEN WE WERE ABLE TOLOOSEN THINGS AND MAKE MASKSN AOPTION FOR SCHOOLS.

BUT NOW THATTHE SPREAD IS HIGHER AND WE HAVETHE DELTA VARIANT, WHICH b IS SOMUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS, AND IT’SINFEINCTG SO MANY MORE OF OURKIDS, NOW IT’S TIME THAT WE MAKESOME RESTRICTIONS AGAIN.ALL 13 OF THE DOCTORS WE SPOKEWITH SAID LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTSSHOULD REQUIRE MASKS.

THUS FAR,IN THE METRO AREA, OMAHAWESTSIDE AND RALSTON HAVEMANDATED MASKS, BUT ONLY FORELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.DR. EMILY DIETLE, AN OMAHAPEDIATRIANCI, HAS AKINDERGARTNER AT WESTSIDE.DIETLE 10:30ALL KIDS DESERVE TO BE ABLE TOGO TO SCHOOL, HAVE SOCIALINTERACTION.

EVERY SINGLE ONOFETHE PARENTS HERE THINKS THATSCHOOL IS IMPORTANT.

KEEPINGSCHOOLS OPEN IS IMPORTANT.

ANDWE DON’T VIEW MASKS AS A WAY TOKEEP PEOPLE APART.

WE VIEW THEMAS A WAY TO KEEP PEOPLETOGETHER.DR. RACHEL JOHNSON, A COMMUNITYINTERNIST AND PEDIATRICIAN,WORRIES ABOUT WAITING.JOHNSON 15:01IF WE SEND OUR KIDS BACK TOSCHOOL WITH NO MASKS AND JUSTSEE HOW THINGS GO, AND WITH THEWAY THIS DELTA VARIANT SPREADS,IT’S GONNA BE TOO LATE BEFORE WEKNOW.

IT’S GONNA BE TOO LATE ANDIT’S GONNA BE EVERYWHERE, ANDWE’RE GONNA HAVE SCHOOLS UTSHDOWN.

... WE HAVE GOT TOPRIORITIZE KEEPING KS INIDSCHOOL, AND THAT MEANS MASKS.DR. ALEISHA NABOWER SAYS THERISKS TO YOUNG PEOPLE ARE REAL.NABOWER 16:05THEY CAN HAVE PROBLEMS WITHTHEIR HEART FUNCTION.

THEY CANGET BLOOD CLOTS.

WE CAN SEE THEMGET VERY, VERY SICK.FORTUNATELY, MOST OF THE KIDSRECOVER IN THE ACUTE PERIOD.WE’RE SEEING THE SAME MENTALHEALTH CONCERNS, LONG-TERMFATIGUE, JUST NOT GETTING BACKTO THEIR FULL PERFORMANCE EVENMONTHS OUT.BECAUSE OF THIS, DR. ALISONLAFLAN EXPECTED SCHOOLS TOFOLLOW EXPERTS LIKE THE CENTERSFOR DISEASE CONTROL AND ETHAMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICSWHEN BOTH RECOMMENDED MASKS INSCHOOLS.LAFLAN *26:44I THINK ESPECIALLY WHEN COVIDFIRST STARTED THERE WAS THISMENTALITY THAT ONLY OLD PEOPLEOR THOSE WITH MEDICALCOMORBITIES DIE OF COVID.OTHERWISE IT’S JUST A COLD ORIT’S JUST A FLU.

UNFORTUNATELY,THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A TINY BITMORE TRUE WITH THE ORIGINALCOVID.

B BUT WITH THIS DELTAVAANRIT, WE’RE SEEING YOUNGER,HEALTHY PEOPLE GET SICK AND ENDUP IN ICU WITH SEVERE COVIDAND/OR DIE.SEVERAL OF THE DOCTORS SAIDSKMAS WOULD HELP KEEP KIDS INSCHOOL AND AVOID RETURNING TOREMOTE LEARNING, WHICH THEY SAIDSPURRED ANXIETY AND SOME SUICIDEATTEMPTS.(GRAPHIC HERE SHOWING THEDIFFERENCE IN SPREAD?)THE PROBLEM WITH THE DELTAVARIANT, THEY SAID, IS THAT ITSPREADS SO MUCH FASTER THANORIGINAL COVID-19.

PEOPLE SICKWITH IT SHOW A VIRAL LOAD ATHOUSAND TIMES HIGHER THANPEOPLE WITH ORIGINAL COVID9.-1DR. MELISSA ST.

GERMAIN, APEDIATRICIAN, SAYS DELTA,WITHOUT MASKS, IS AS CONTAGIOUSAS CHICKEN POX.ST.

GERMAIN 4:59MASKS ARE ABLE TO CATCH MOST,NOT ALL, BUT MOST OF THOSE VALIRPARTICLES AS THEY’RE COMING OUTOF SOMEONE’S MOUTH.

SO IF YOU’VEGOT A PIECE OF CLOTH, PRERABLYEFA SURGICAL MASK ... THAT’LLCATCH MOST OF THOSE VIRALPARTICLES SO THAT THEY CAN’T GETOUT AN INFECT SOONMEE ELSE.DR. JAMIE VITAMVAS *19:06I THINK KIDS TOLERATE MASKSFINE.

I THINK IT’S MORE OF APARENT ISSUE THAN A KIDS ISSUE.I THINK MORE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTMASKS NEED TO BE VOCAL ABOUTTHAT AND SAY YES WE SUORTPPWEARING MASKS IN OUR SCHOOLS,AND I THINK THE OFFICIALS NEEDTO HEAR THAT FROM EVERYBODY.MANY OF THE DOCTORS EXPRESSEDFRUSTRATION ABOUT THE POLITICSOF MASKING AND VACCINES.THEY ALSO URGED PATIENTS TO TALKTO THEIR FAMILY PHYSICIAN ANDNOT THEIR FACEBOOK FRIENDS FORRELIABLE INFORMATION ABOUTVACCINES AND MASKS.DR. TIFANY SOMER-SHELY, ANOBGYN, *37:17MY HUSBAND LIKES TO MAKE THEANALOGY OF WOULD YOU TAKE URYOCAT TO A MECHANIC IF THEY WERESICK?

IF THE ANSWER IS WELL,DUH, NO, THEN WHY ARE YOU TAKINGYOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION OFF THEINTERNET?AND EACH, INCLUDING DR. BRIANNEKLING, SAID PEOPLE NEED TORESPECT THIS VERSION OF THEVIRUS.KLING 35:23I’M SUPER HEALTHY.

AND I’M NOT ASMOKER.

AND I’M NOT MORBIDLYOBESE.

AND I DON’T HAVEUNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.AND I EXERCISE EVERY DAY.

AND IEAT HEALTHY.

AND I’M NOT ONCHRONIC MEDICATIONS.

AND IALMOST DIED.

B I HAD MULPLETIPULMONARY EMBOLI IN BOTH LUNGS,AND I WAS HOSPITALIZED IN THECOVID UNIT.

B& IF THAT CAN ENHAPTO ME, THAT CAN HAPPEN TOANYBODY.DIETLE CAUTIONED SUPERINTENDENTSAND POLITICIANS WHO POINT TO THEPAST TO MAKE MASKS OPTNAL.IODIETLE 40:37IT’S LIKE THE PERSON WHO OVEDRHOME DRUNK.

THEY GOT HOME FINELAST TIME.

THAT’S GREAT.

THATDOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD EPKEDRIVING HOME DRUNK b OUR CONCERNIS THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCELAST YEAR AND WE WANT TOCONTINUE EVERYONE BEING SATHIS YR.EASEVERAL AREA SCHOOLDISTRICTS, INCLUDING MILLARD,ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZINGTHEIR PLANS FOR THE FALL.OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS COULDVOTE AS EARLY AS MONDAY ON APOSSIBLE APPROACH TO MASKS.***GRETNA... PALLPIION-LAVISTA ... ELKHORN... ANDSEVERAL SUBURBAN SCHLOODISTRICTS HAVE SAID AT THIS TIMETHEY PLAN ON KEEPING MASKSOPTIONAL, BUT ELECTED SCHOOLBOARDS STILL HAVE TIME TO WEIGHIN, WHICH IS WHY THESE DOCTORSSAY THEY HOPE OTHER REPANTS WILLREACH OUT TO BOARD MEMBERS.***FOR MORE OF WHAT THEDOCTORS TOLD SANDERFORD AND MOREOF OUR 3 NEWS NOWINVESTIGATIONS, VISIT