Wear a Mask Under Your Mask
Your kids’ plastic superhero or princess mask shouldn’t replace their medical mask. Instead, they should wear a medical mask underneath any Halloween mask, says Gina Posner, MD, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “I would definitely have kids wear a mask since they don’t know who they will be exposed to,” she says, referencing the close interaction with candy-givers at each house the kids visit. Daniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. agrees. “Costume masks almost never provide enough protection," he says. To be safe, use your typical masking strategy, even though your children will most likely be outdoors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s masking data in schools have shown that schools without mask requirements were three and half times more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks, continuing what we already know about the efficacy of masks in reducing transmission.
Keep Your Halloween Party Guest List Small, Or Cancel
You might need to consider canceling your Halloween bash this year or at least lowering the guest count. Dr. Posner says she would cancel parties altogether, at least for now. This is in large part because, as the CDC reports, hospitalization rates for children ages 17 and younger have been at an all-time high this fall. Hospitalizations peaked the week ending in September 11, but as of October 3, rates are still higher than they’ve been at any point prior to Fall 2021. Dr. Ganjian says if you do still plan on having a Halloween party, you should move it outdoors and keep it to a few close friends.
Social Distance While Passing Out Candy
For now, you probably should not let your kids take candy directly from a homeowner or let the homeowner place candy in your child’s bag. Instead, both experts recommend leaving the candy outside the house to create distance between the kids and the homeowner. You can place candy on a table with a note to take one. Dr. Posner says these touchless candy options lower the risk of transmission. Another option is for both the trick-or-treater and the homeowner to both be wearing masks, though that is harder to control if you don’t know the neighbors you are visiting. Similar to pandemic pods, neighborhood circles can band together to create safe trick or treating requirements by asking everyone to mask or social distance. You can also explore more creative social distancing measures, like using a broomstick to pass out bags of candy.
Keep Your Kids Home If They Are Sick
It is upsetting to miss trick-or-treating for a runny nose or cough, but this year it might be the difference between infecting your entire neighborhood or not. “Keep your child home if they do not feel well or have any symptoms, such as cough, runny nose, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea,” Dr. Ganjian says. “The Delta variant is not more dangerous in children, but it is more contagious, so parents should try their best to encourage their children to keep with mask and social distancing guidelines.”
Adapt School Parties
Schools should be avoiding food at parties this year, no matter how tempting it may be to buy some spooky classroom cupcakes. “Costume events are great, but I wouldn’t do parties since that requires removing your mask to eat,” Dr. Posner says. In addition, instead of having large gatherings, Dr. Ganjian says that larger parties can be separated into several mini gatherings. This can apply at school or at home. At school, this might look like having a classroom party rather than a grade-level party at your child’s school. In the end, Halloween can still be a celebratory holiday for children. It is just important to observe appropriate safety measures. “The Delta variant is not more dangerous in children, but it is more contagious, so parents should try their best to encourage their children to keep with mask and social distancing guidelines,” Dr. Ganjian says.
