BANGOR, Maine — Officials at Northern Light Health have reported a rise in respiratory illnesses across Maine, including COVID-19.
With the school year about to begin, these cases could soon be making their way into the classroom.
“We want to minimize all of that best we can,” Dr. James Jarvis, Medical Director of Clinical Education for Northern Light Health's Eastern Maine Medical Center said.
Jarvis said they are seeing a summer surge in COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory viruses.
“I think we should start to be a little bit more concerned,” Jarvis said. “I've been telling my patients who are at risk for severe disease from any one of these kinds of viruses that they should probably go back to wearing masks if they haven't been, especially when they're going to be in an indoor setting.”
Jarvis said if you have symptoms of a respiratory illness and they're not getting better, you should reach out to your doctor.
“And just taking good care and staying home if you don't feel well,” he said.
Jarvis said he's expecting respiratory illness cases to continue to rise as the school year starts.
Now, school leaders in the area are preparing to try to keep kids healthy as they return to the classroom.
“Talk to them about the importance of being healthy and keeping their hands washed,” Ray Phinney, director of community outreach and school safety at the Bangor School Department said. “So, teachers will actually practice during the day washing their hands, especially at the younger ages.”
At Bangor Public Schools, the district is continuing many of the protocols put in place during the pandemic, including using air purifiers and hand sanitizer.
This year, health clinics are being introduced in Bangor’s middle schools to get accessible medical care for students.
Phinney said the most important lesson from the pandemic was the importance of communication.
“Communication is a two-way street,” Phinney said. “If something is happening at school, if a student's not feeling well, we reach out to parents and let them know. But we also appreciate when parents call us and let us know that their child is not feeling well.”
Superintendent of Brewer Schools Gregg Palmer worries this spike in respiratory illnesses will decrease school attendance.
He’s hoping to strike a balance between keeping students safe and getting them the education they need.
“We want kids in school, if symptoms are going away and they're fever free, then we'd like to make sure they're in class,” Palmer said.
Jarvis said one of the best ways for students to protect themselves is to get the latest flu and COVID-19 vaccines once they are available this fall.