VT Pediatrician Shares A Letter with the Community

We thank Dr. Leah Costello for sharing this unsolicited letter with us. It addresses COVID, testing, colds, and more. Dr. Costello's words are helpful as we get closer to the holiday season and potentially more gatherings with others.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I write to you with high COVID case rates in Vermont, the news of the omicron variant, and the holidays approaching. Obviously, this is not how we were wanting to close out 2021. But there is hope. With vaccines and the right precautions, we can gather as small groups this holiday season and still keep our schools and community safe.

As a pediatrician and parent, I am relieved that school-aged children are eligible for the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Over 60% of children ages 5-11 in Chittenden County have received their first dose at the time of this letter! The CDC has recommended that all adults over age 18 should get a booster and just approved boosters for 16 to18-year-olds. If you or someone in your family has not received the COVID vaccine, now is the perfect time to get it. Your school nurse can help if your family requires assistance. If you have questions about the vaccine please talk to your physician or listen to one of these question and answer sessions.

An added safety measure this year is the use of testing before and after gatherings. If your entire family feels well, you can use two rapid antigen tests prior to gathering with others. Use one test the day before and one on the day of the gathering to ensure your negative result is accurate. To protect the community, we strongly recommend a PCR test 5-7 days after gathering. If you or anyone in your family is sick, please make the hard, but right, decision to skip your planned event and arrange PCR testing.

COVID is not the only virus we are seeing in our community. Unfortunately, without proper testing, there is no way to know if that mild runny nose is COVID or “just a cold”. We recommend that anyone with symptoms, even the most mild, stay home and be tested with a PCR test. If you choose to do a rapid test and it is negative, you must confirm with a PCR test and stay home until you are all better. This applies to vaccinated and unvaccinated children and adults. If at any point you receive a positive rapid or PCR test please stay home and follow the recommendations of the Vermont Department of Health.

Remaining at home if you are sick is of utmost importance this year. Even if your child is fully vaccinated or has a negative PCR test you must keep them home until they are all better. Sending your sick child to school puts others at risk. Risk of illness, risk of missing school, and risk of disruption for working parents. As a parent of 3 young kids, I understand how hard this is – and how it differs from the time before COVID. We thank you for your efforts.

We are fortunate to offer Test To Stay in many Vermont schools. This allows children who are exposed to COVID at school and who do not have any symptoms to remain at school. In this situation, we use daily rapid antigen tests administered at school. This is the only situation in

which we can use rapid testing for school entry. Children exposed to COVID outside of school and children who are sick are not eligible for Test To Stay.

The continued demands on families and schools are astounding. I am in awe of what our schools are doing on a daily basis to maintain the health of our school communities. And parents, wow, this has been the most challenging time to balance work and parenting. Everyone is doing their best. We are in this together and must hold each other up.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.

With Gratitude,

Leah Costello, MD

Timber Lane Pediatrics