A Cape Town school has reinstated the use of face masks to protect young children after an increase in Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases were reported in the Western Cape.
As reported by IOL, parents of Heideveld Primary School learners received a letter from the school on Thursday that raised concerns about the spread of RSV and flu viruses.
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The letter has also called upon parents to ensure children are wearing face masks at school.
Earlier this month, the National Department of Health stated that RSV was at peak circulation in the country, as well as influenza virus infections, while COVID-19 continued to circulate at low levels.
The reinstatement of face masks was not an instruction by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) but instead, a precautionary step taken by the management of the school, according to Kerry Mauchline, WCED spokesperson.
‘The school has advised that they took the initiative to recommend that children with flu symptoms wear a mask as a precautionary measure, because exams are coming up and they don’t want learners to get sick and miss exams. No learner will be sent home for not wearing a mask,’ said Mauchline.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), human RSV is a ‘globally prevalent cause of lower respiratory tract infection’.
‘While RSV is not routinely tested for, we know from the children going to Paediatric ICU [children with RSV pneumonia/bronchiolitis can end up in PICU] and also from the National Institute For Communicable Diseases of South Africa (NICD), that RSV is around and a particular problem at this time of year [seasonal],’ said La Hoe.
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