CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With the coronavirus numbers currently trending upward, many parents in the Coastal Bend are wondering whether they should send their kids back to school for the upcoming year.
For parents like Brigitte Rox, returning to school certainly isn't an option while there's yet to be a cure for the coronavirus.
"My daughter was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis about a month ago," Rox said. "Whatever illnesses goes around, it could agitate the immune system to start attacking her muscles or her skin again, so that's the reason why she's pretty much a bubble child right now."
Rox's daughter Jo Beth started treatment for that rare autoimmune disease.
"Getting to my mom's car is 'oh my gosh,' when I look at that step, to me it's Mount Everest," Jo Beth said.
Her doctor told her it'd be best for Jo Beth to continue her learning at home. For other moms like Lianna Mercado, kids getting the virus isn't her only concern.
"It kind of terrifies me to send my kids back to school," Mercardo said. "What happens when the children come home from school and they're spreading it to their parents or guardians, especially those with underlying health conditions."
Mercado said she fears her kids will get sick if there are not enough safety precautions being implemented in the classrooms. More so, she's worried that kids could return home to their family members who are more vulnerable, like herself.
"My kids just lost their father a year and a half ago, so to think about me getting sick, the possibility of me getting sick and something happening to me and leaving my kids without both of their parents, that's a big concern of mine," Mercado said.
While some kids may have mixed feelings about the idea of being home schooled, Jo Beth is trying to stay positive.
"Missing friends is really tough, but it is going to be safer for us," Jo Beth said.
Jo Beth's mom said that until there's a vaccine that can assure them it's safer to go out, they'll be adjusting to learning from home.
"We're looking at least two years of you know homeschooling, staying indoors, COVID-19 doesn't make it any easier, it makes it much harder because there is no vaccine yet," Rox said.
For any parents out there who are considering homeschooling their kids, Rox said to try reaching out to the leaders at their school. She was able to work out a plan for their situation and is glad to have it settled sooner than later.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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