Manitoba doctors log increased calls as school looms

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This article was published 31/08/2020 (2077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Family physicians are noting an uptick in calls from parents wanting a medical exemption to return to class as Manitoba schools are set to open their doors next week.

Keir Johnson, a spokesman with Doctors Manitoba, said pediatricians and family doctors are fielding questions from anxious parents wanting to know if their child could be exempt from in-class learning starting Sept. 8.

“I think the top two questions when it comes to back to school concerns are: will my child need a mask exemption in school or would my child need to stay home from school?” Johnson said Monday. “There are certainly some requests that are coming in where people have very legitimate concerns, but they’re not medical in nature.”

Doctors are expecting the calls and questions to continue for the next few weeks as school ramps up amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Johnson said, but for the time being, the volume is manageable.

All students in kindergarten to Grade 8 must return full-time this fall, and high school students at least twice a week, unless a physician advises against in-class learning due to COVID-19 risk factors, according to Manitoba Education.

Students with health concerns will be able to access remote learning, but the province has not made the option available to families at large.

According to the province, situations where a medical exemption from in-class learning “should be rare,” and limited to children with compromised immune systems or other medical conditions that increase their risk.

Early last week, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba released its guidance to doctors on when to write medical exemption notes for school and use of face masks.

“Members must abstain from providing anyone an exemption either written or verbal in the absence of a justified medical condition or based upon information that is known to be inaccurate,” the college stated.

Johnson said doctors will consider whether a student has an underlying medical condition and what risk that presents to the patient, but they’re also looking at the precautions taken at the school level to mitigate potential harm.

On excusing children from school, the college said medical conditions where risk of infection with COVID-19 from in-person learning is substantial or where children may be at a higher risk of death from COVID-19 could warrant an exemption.

“It is important for members to use their knowledge, skill and judgement of the child’s diagnosis and potential risk of harm from attending school to determine if an exemption to in-person learning should be provided,” the college stated.

Public health officials have also mandated the wearing of non-medical face masks for students in grades 4 through 12, when physical distancing of two metres is not possible.

“Feeling uncomfortable or holding a strong opinion against mask wearing are not considered to be medical indications for exemption,” the college wrote in its bulletin.

Examples of medical conditions that qualify an exemption to wear a mask include breathing or cognitive difficulties or a disability that makes wearing a mask unsafe or if the person is not able to remove the mask independently.

“There are very few medical conditions that justify an exemption from wearing a face mask,” the college noted.

Many parents presenting at doctor’s offices seeking medical notes are well-intentioned, Johnson said, and often require more education about the virus that causes COVID-19 to ease some concerns.

“A lot of it is coming from not having complete information, which is understandable… but it’s also coming from a place of fear so talking to an expert or a doctor is always a good thing to do when you want factual reliable information.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca

Medical notes for exemptions