Back to school: Parents concerned Nova Scotia doesn’t have COVID-19 plan in place

Summer is starting to slip away.

For many, that means school will be starting soon, which typically leads to respiratory virus season.

But according to Nova Scotia’s Health Department, there is currently no plan in place for COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses for schools across the province.

To parents like Martha Farquhar-McDonnell and Jordan Thomas, the lack of planning and protection for their children is a problem.

“As a parent and a teacher, I’m worried about the lack of a plan for controlling the spread of COVID and other illnesses as we go back to school,” Farquhar-McDonnell said in an interview Wednesday.

Thomas, whose daughter is heading into Grade 1, said he is concerned this school year will be a repeat of last year.

“I had to take a fair amount of time off work last year to look after my daughter,” Thomas said, adding he has a limited number of paid sick days.

Farquhar-McDonnell also reflected on her son’s first year in school last year, when there was no mask mandate and isolation requirements were lifted.

She said there were at least three outbreaks of respiratory viruses at his school on the South Shore, which not only caused students and teachers to miss classes but also put strain on families and the health-care system.

“I don’t see how this year will be any different,” Farquhar-McDonnell said.

Not only that, but Farquhar-McDonnell said she’s concerned about the long-term effects of COVID.

The World Health Organization says while most people fully recover from COVID, 10 to 20 per cent of people experience “a variety of mid- and long-term effects after they recover from their initial illness.”

The Health Department declined an interview, as did Nova Scotia Health. The department instead provided an emailed statement.

“At this time COVID-19 activity remains low in Nova Scotia,” the statement reads. “While it is too soon to know exactly what the winter respiratory virus season will look like we should anticipate increased influenza, COVID and RSV activity.

“To protect ourselves and each other during respiratory virus season it will once again be important for Nova Scotians to get influenza and COVID vaccines and to use personal measures such (as) following any mask recommendations if applicable, staying home when sick, being careful about our close, social contacts and regular hand washing.”

“I had to take a fair amount of time off work last year to look after my daughter.”

– Jordan Thomas

But Farquhar-McDonnell and Thomas believe preventable measures could be taken before students and teachers return to the classroom.

“I think really taking indoor air quality seriously could have a really big impact,” said Farquhar-McDonnell, adding her son will continue to wear a mask to class.

In 2022, the provincial government purchased small HEPA filtration units for 71 schools that had no ventilation systems in order to reduce air particulates.

A spokesperson for the Education Department said the “HEPA filtration units are regularly cleaned and maintained and filters replaced.”

“All mechanical ventilation systems in all schools are cleaned and maintained twice a year. Maintenance and upgrades are completed as required,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement, adding ventilation reports are posted on regional educational centres and CSAP websites.

“School ventilation is one part of a layered approach to student and staff health and staff and operations staff continue to ensure that our systems are working and effective.”

Aside from that, Farquhar-McDonnell said she hopes for an increase in education surrounding COVID as the virus is always adapting in different ways and new variants are emerging.

Thomas said he would like to see paid sick leave legislation.