All school districts are back in session across the state and most are attending school in person. With that in mind, health officials are continuing to inform the public about COVID-19 precautions.

Greene County Medical Center Family Practice Physician Dr. Laurie Connolly says students can contract COVID-19, but they can handle the virus typically better than adults can.

“They do have a better immune system, they fight off infections faster than grow-ups do, they heal faster after surgery. They just do better in general with illnesses. But when they are going to school, and maybe contracting the COVID-19 virus – just like all other viruses – are going to bring that back home and then out into the community.” 

Dr. Connolly notes children typically don’t have the chronic illnesses that adults do, which doesn’t make them as susceptible or puts them at higher risk for contracting the virus. According to the state dashboard as of Wednesday, Greene County has 67 positive COVID-19 cases, with ten-percent of those cases being between the ages of 0-17 and 46-percent from 18-40-years-old.