Many parents have asked me lately whether it’s OK for kids to go back to fall sports. We know that COVID-19 is still out there, but our kids have been in social isolation for months and are doing online school. Can’t we at least let them participate in their favorite sports?
It’s a tough question. We know that COVID-19 is very contagious — the CDC just restated that it is spread through aerosols, which means that infected particles from our nose and mouth can be suspended in the air for hours. And there are still hot spots all over our country, with some counties more infectious than others. Having said that, our kids have had a difficult 6 months. And the pandemic won’t be ending anytime soon. We also know that it will take time for the vaccine to get approved and there are still some questions about how long it will take for it to be available for everyone, which means that we still have at least months of restrictions, if not a year.