A top infectious disease doctor is sharing tips for a healthy back-to-school season.

Beaumont Health said it is starting to see a plateau in its number of COVID patients.

This is happening just before a travel ban goes into effect for multiple parts of Africa.

Experts are concerned that a new variant of COVID-19, “omicron,” could possibly be even more contagious than the delta variant and more resistant to vaccinations.

Many families are struggling with how to juggle the desire to see loved ones with a need to keep everyone safe from COVID.

Beaumont Health provided an update to reinforce what other healthcare institutions and public health officials have said about using masks to protect against COVID as students prepare to head back into the classroom.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that everyone over the age of 2 wear masks in school even if they are vaccinated.

If you received your COVID-19 vaccine, you likely knew about what to expect in terms of side effects: Perhaps a mild headache, chills or body aches, a slight fever, a sore arm or maybe a bit of fatigue.

Children under 12 aren’t eligible to get vaccinated and likely won’t be able to receive the shot for several months. That means families are facing a lot of difficult decisions about what’s safe and what isn’t.

As COVID numbers continue to skyrocket, one Ann Arbor family is thrilled to be preparing to have the youngest members finally get vaccinated.

“This pandemic has caused us to do things totally different,” Bishop Ellis said. “I think we’ve done a great job at Greater Grace Temple.”

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A doctor at Beaumont Royal Oak hospital is speaking out about what he’s been seeing.

DETROIT – There could be some good news on the horizon in terms of reopening schools and getting back to normal. During a Harvard webinar, Dr. Anthony Fauci told a group that transmission in schools is lower than originally thought. Read: Michigan high schools allowed to reopen today as part of revised COVID order“When you look at it, the number of children getting it is less than you would have expected, which is good news for keeping the children in school,” Fauci said. “If it spreads in the school, the kids brings it home, parent brings it to work and spreads it there,” Sims said. “We have teachers who are ill, teachers quarantined from home and there’s a substitute shortage,” Roberts said.

As the vaccine rollout continues, many people are excited that 2020 is finally in the past. While that doesn’t mean coronavirus disappeared at midnight, experts are weighing in when it’s realistic to expect things to get back to normal. He said mask wearing, social distancing and other precautions will stay in place until at least 70% of the population is vaccinated. Those things will affect how long it takes to reach broad public immunity.”The same thoughts are held on a national level too. Dr. Anthony Fauci said masks, social distancing and other precautions will have to stay in place until the majority of people are vaccinated.