Do schoolchildren wearing masks impact learning ability? Here’s the science

In addition to getting a vaccine, wearing a mask is often cited as the best way to protect against contracting COVID-19.

The CDC advises everyone ages 2 and older to wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public areas of substantial or high community transmission – including schools – regardless of vaccination status.

While some school districts in the state, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, require students and staff to wear masks, a few have made them optional.

The public debate about the need for masks on children continues, with some parents citing potential health risks and learning barriers that outweigh the benefits. Others consider masking as one way to keep kids safe while in school.

Why should kids wear masks?

Data show that the majority of children are far less likely to experience symptoms or serious complications from COVID-19 than adults, but those with underlying health conditions may be at increased risk for severe illness.

COVID-19 in children can lead to a potentially dangerous complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). This condition can affect the heart, lungs and kidneys. An infection can also lead to long COVID in some children.

Recent studies also indicate that children are capable of spreading the infection, but when masks are worn correctly, they create a barrier that reduces respiratory emissions that play a key role in the spread of COVID-19.

As of Thursday, 2.3% of current COVID-related hospitalizations in North Carolina are pediatric patients, according to state health officials.

Are there drawbacks to masking kids?

Despite the known health benefits of face coverings, a December 2020 study published in Sage Journals suggested that masks could impact social and learning skills among children.

Analyzing facial expressions is a useful cue to understand the emotions of others, which is a skill that develops in early childhood, research shows. Children not being able to see the bottom half of faces may affect their ability to properly interact with others.

Other behaviors, such as those examined in a study published by the National Academy of Sciences, also suggest that infants observing how mouths move are part of speech development.

When kids need help with speech issues, being able to observe the movement of their lips, and the mouths of others is crucial to language development, the study said.

Furthermore, there is also evidence that masks make it difficult to hear someone who is speaking, which may also hinder a child’s ability to learn in loud classrooms, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This issue could be exacerbated in children with disabilities like autism or hearing impairment.

Can wearing a mask make it harder for your child to breathe?

There have been concerns that face masks can reduce oxygen intake, but masks are made from breathable materials that will not block the oxygen a child needs, according to Johns Hopkins University pediatric pulmonary fellow Dr. Kimberly Dickinson.

The majority of children, including those with medical conditions, can safely wear masks for extended periods of time, Dickinson said.

Do masks trap carbon dioxide?

Although unsubstantiated reports have been made that mask-wearing leads to carbon dioxide poisoning, carbon dioxide molecules are very tiny and cannot be trapped by cloth or disposable masks, Dickinson said.

Can masks lead to a weakened immune system?

Wearing a mask does not weaken your immune system or increase your chances of getting sick if you are exposed to COVID-19, said Dickinson.

Doctors noted an increase in illness after mask mandates and social distancing measures are lifted are likely due to underreporting, not compromised immunity to viruses.