Minnesota Medical Association Urges Continued Testing and COVID-19 Precautions to Protect Minnesota Children

April 29, 2021

The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) urges all Minnesotans to continue COVID-19 precautions to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect Minnesota children.

The vulnerability of young Minnesotans became evident on April 26 when the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported the death of a first-grade student, a boy under the age of 10, due to complications from COVID-19. The child from southwestern Minnesota reportedly did not have any underlying medical conditions.
“This sad situation is concerning and further demonstrates we need to continue to protect one another – especially our youngest Minnesotans under the age of 16 who are not yet eligible for vaccines,” says MMA President Marilyn Peitso, MD. “We need Minnesotans to take action to slow the spread of COVID-19 because we are not yet at herd immunity.”

To slow the spread of COVID-19, the MMA recommends all Minnesotans:

• Get vaccinated and remember that being vaccinated is our best hope to returning to routine activities.
• Continue to wear masks.
  • On April 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines to note that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks outdoors when gathering in small groups, dining, or gathering indoors with other vaccinated people.
• Stay socially distant when possible. When attending a large gathering, do so outdoors rather than indoors.
• Wash hands.
• Keep an eye on variants of the virus, which are more contagious and making younger Minnesotans sick.
• Seek care and get tested when ill.

“We continue to advise the need to test early and test often, which allows for earlier diagnosis and treatment,” says Peitso. “This includes early testing in the course of the illness or possible exposure and routine screening for school-age children, weekly for student athletes, athletic staff and volunteers, and every two weeks for other students.”

Minnesotans who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to contact their physicians to determine if they are eligible for monoclonal antibody treatment, which has proven beneficial in reducing serious illness when COVID-19 is detected early. Minnesotans can also visit the Department of Health’s Minnesota Resource Allocation Platform website, which is an online tool that connects patients and health care providers with COVID-19 medications that are in limited supply.

About the Minnesota Medical Association
The Minnesota Medical Association is a non-profit professional association representing physicians, residents and medical students. With more than 12,000 members, the MMA is dedicated to being the leading voice of medicine to make Minnesota the healthiest state and the best place to practice.