OMAHA, Neb — As Governor Ricketts and others raise questions about the safety of masks for kids in school, 3 News Now asked a leading physician about the safety of children wearing masks.
Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children's Hospital, Dr. Kari Simonsen, says generally there aren't risks for kids over of the age of two.
It’s also common to hear people compare COVID to the flu, but Simonsen says that is not an accurate comparison.
"The morbidity and the long-term consequences have been much more impressive and striking with COVID than for flu. So, for example, during a typical flu season, we usually hospitalize around 46,000 kids in a year. With COVID, we've hospitalized over 200,000," said Simonsen.
She credits a layered approach — physical distancing, masks and ventilation — for helping prevent large outbreaks at schools.