Opinion: Parents Worried About Needing To Take Kids To Physician For Issues Not Related To COVID-19
Sindya N. Bhanoo, a health and science writer in Austin, writes in the Washington Post (4/7) that her kids “are at home as the world battles the novel coronavirus pandemic,” and “biking is one of the few outdoor pleasures kids can still enjoy while we wait this out and follow social-distancing and hand-washing protocols.” But, she writes, “parents like me are also worried about having to take their kids, or themselves, to the doctor for issues not related to COVID-19,” because “not only do these injuries tax the currently overburdened health-care system, but by going to the doctor, we are potentially exposing ourselves to the virus. Or if we are unwitting, asymptomatic carriers, we risk exposing others.” She “asked some pediatricians what they thought,” and “they assured me that biking was not a bad choice. Kids need to play. Mental health is important. Life is not normal right now, but we must carry on.” Lee Beers, a pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital in the District and the president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said, “You don’t need to stop. I think you should practice the same level of safety and caution that you always would. If you’re riding a bike, wear a helmet.” Bhanoo writes that “nonetheless, at a time when there is a shortage of personal protective equipment like masks in medical practices, it is understandable that patients are concerned about trips to the doctor, Beers said.”