Kansas City,
17
August
2021
|
08:32 AM
America/Chicago

Reuters: Masks do not expose children to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide

Girl in mask_healthline

Online claims that children wearing face masks for COVID-19 are being exposed to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide are false. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends face masks for children over the age of two for protection against the spread of COVID-19.

Reuters has previously addressed mask safety for children during the pandemic in fact-checks visible here and here .

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF advise that “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a 1-metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.”

Angela Myers, Director of Infectious Diseases for Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri, told Reuters via email, that for children who can put on and take off their mask without help, “wearing a mask is a safe and effective way to prevent infection transmission.”

Myers felt the clarification was crucial as children go back to school and are close to each other and their teachers.

Pediatricians and world health experts recommend masks for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission.

 

Read the full article via Reuters

For ways to help a child wear a mask, read this Parentish article  

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine at Children's Mercy