OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Area schools are navigating the safest ways to reopen during this pandemic. Some of those schools have already reported COVID-19 cases within the classroom.
Nebraska Medicine Center infectious disease Doctor Mark Rupp says that's expected.
"Unfortunately, I'm not at all surprised that you are seeing cases in kids as they come back to school," Dr. Rupp said.
Dr. Rupp says kids need to be back in school, but it's going to be tough to navigate with cases already popping up within the buildings and a high positivity rate within the county.
"The numbers that we are seeing overall within the community reflect the fact that this virus is transmitting within the community," Dr. Rupp said. "It’s pretty widespread.”
Despite previous knowledge, Rupp says children can easily become infected and they do shed the virus at a fairly high level just as much as adults.
According to Dr. Rupp, schools should be implementing handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing. He adds schools could be checking the ventilation in the building and moving the classroom outside in the fresh air on nice days.
"I’m dismayed when I drive around town and I see people in venues that are crowded together and people are face-to-face and not wearing masks and this, of course, cannot be permitted anymore," Dr. Rupp said.
Rupp is hopeful the recent mask mandate will help get the community spread and positivity rate down within the next 4 to 6 weeks.
