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‘Lessons’ to stay safe in the classroom
With schools opening under new normal conditions on Thursday (October 21) and face masks being expensive, this was the discussion the Sunday Times had with Consultant Clinical Microbiologist Dr. Mahen Kothalawala of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL).
A child heading to the classroom would essentially have to wear a face mask as well as carry several masks with him/her, says Dr. Kothalawala, tracing the journey to school from home and back and also the time spent in school.
He says: “A student will travel either in public transport or a personal vehicle (could be a bicycle, motorcycle, trishaw or car). Then in school, he/she would listen to lessons, have a break (interval) during which he/she will have something to eat, go back to class and return home. The most important thing is to stop any close interaction the child may have during the interval when he/she would take the mask off or when travelling back and forth.”
File pic: Face masks, hand washing and carrying sanitiser are some of the instructions schoolchildren are required to follow.
His advice is:
n A child should wear one mask but would have to carry many masks with him/her because if dampness builds up on the mask, if it drops to the floor or if it gets dirty, it needs to be discarded. Therefore, the child should carry two bags duly marked – one for the discarded masks and the other for the fresh masks.
All the masks of a child should have his/her name on it and the date of use so that there is no mix up of masks among the children.
- A child should also carry sanitizer.
- n The teachers and other staff should be masked at all times, while maintaining physical distance as well.
- There should be a back-up of all lessons taught, so that children who miss classes can access them promptly. No punitive action (punishment) should be taken against any child for not attending school.
- The class teacher should have a stock of masks and sanitizers in the classroom in case a child misplaces his/her masks or sanitizers.
“Children should be given a mask-free interval (time without masks) outside the classroom advisably on the grounds. Even here, social distancing should be followed. This is while the classroom should not be used to full capacity but half and in two shifts. The classroom’s windows and doors should be kept open. Parents should also be advised that if their children are unwell, they should not be sent to school,” he says.
Specific that only ‘essential’ lessons should be taught, he points out that extracurricular activities such as singing, dancing, contact sports, etc., should not be started yet.
According to him the options for masks are either surgical masks or cloth masks sewn with a triple layer. If wearing the surgical mask, the coloured side should be to the outside.
Dr. Kothalawala said a major problem with masks is that they don’t fit properly and keep falling off or getting below the nose and the mouth. What parents can do is place a cloth mask over the surgical mask and tie the cloth mask behind the head to keep the surgical mask in place.
Cloth masks can be washed and worn again, while surgical masks should be discarded when lint/microfibre can be seen coming off or it gets discoloured. Those masks can’t be washed, dried and ironed. These surgical masks are for single use, but there can be “extended” use by the same user, he says, adding that it can be done by wearing the surgical mask for 3-4 hours and if clean, removing it and keeping it in a clean bag. A new one is then worn and after 3-4 hours, the first can be re-worn again.