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Doctors: Virus outbreaks bound to happen at day care centers

Doctors say child care facilities are bound to have coronavirus outbreaks. So, as more people return to work and children return to day care, facilities must take more safety precautions than ever.

Posted Updated

By
Leslie Moreno
, WRAL multimedia journalist
RALEIGH, N.C. — The younger the child, the lower the transmission rate of coronavirus, according to a doctor at WakeMed.

However, that doesn’t mean transmission is impossible or that children can't be carriers.

Unfortunately, the doctor says outbreaks at day care centers are bound to happen – it's just a matter of time.

Spanish for Fun Daycare has not closed since the stay-at-home orders began in March. The director, Carol Marin, said that’s because the staff has been very careful.

“Even just with the slightest cold or fever or runny nose, people are staying home or getting tested as a precaution,” said Marin.

Spanish for Fun has 84 children enrolled between the ages of 18 months and 7 years. While the center has never had a positive case, Marin said she does worry about the possibility of an outbreak.

“Because it’s a little bit hard to tell for kids. They don’t really show many symptoms," she said.

Cases topped 100,000 total in North Carolina on Monday.

Dr. Karen Chilton, WakeMed Children's Hospital chief medical officer, said that, even with all the precautions in place, day cares are bound to see positive cases at some point.

“Despite that, we are going to see cases from time to time because of the fact that it’s commonly out in the community,” said Chilton.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the state has seen a total of 87 cases in day care centers.

Of those cases, 43 of those were adults and 44 were children.

Chilton said parents and staff members can really help to control the number of cases in day cares by being careful themselves.

“It’s not solely dependent on what kind of measures they’re taking in the child care centers itself, it has a lot to do with how careful the staff and family members are being outside of that setting so they’re not exposing the kids and themselves to it,” she said.

Unfortunately, Chilton said they do expect to see an increase in cases in schools and day cares in the coming weeks as everyone gets back to their normal routine.

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