Lincoln school board member expects rise in COVID-19 cases as classes begin

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The start of school brings increased contact among children, which has some experts worried about what that might mean for COVID-19 numbers.

Right now, the Lancaster County COVID-19 risk dial is in low orange, but Lincoln Public Schools board member Bob Rauner said a rise in cases is inevitable.

“When you put lots of people together, that’s how respiratory viruses like to spread,” said Rauner, a physician. “So you put 20, 30, 40 people in a room, that’s what’s going to happen.”

While the virus is a major concern, Rauner says getting kids back to a normal school routine is a priority.

“The core thing for our kids long-term for their mental health and their success is to further their educations, so that’s the most important thing,” he said. “Yes, there is some risk, going to school with COVID and the flu and other things, but being in person for school is by far the best.”

Rauner encourages parents who are scared about the spread of the virus to have their kids wear masks to school.

He said the easiest and most effective way to keep the whole community safe is to stay up to date on vaccinations.

“One of our biggest problems in Lincoln is that a lot of parents haven’t gotten their kid that third shot yet, and that’s probably the biggest thing they could do to prevent a big increase in cases,” Rauner said.

Dr. James Lawler, co-executive director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Global Center for Health Security, says we shouldn’t rush the transition back to regular life.

“People want so much to get back to normal that they’re willing to ignore the obvious that’s in front of them,” he said.

Lawler said this virus is going to stick around for a while, but doing things like wearing masks and isolating when necessary will help us get to a point where we will be safe to resume life as normal.

“We can pretend like it’s gone, but it’s not,” Lawler said. “And unless we take concerted action together, we’re not going to be able to have this fade into the background anytime soon.”