The province's chief nursing officer and a Manitoba pediatrician and took time Thursday morning to answer questions about COVID-19 that were submitted by kids. During the live-streamed event, Chief Nursing Officer, Lanette Siragusa, was faced with the question 'When do you think I might be able to play with my friends?' The question was posed by a Grade 1 student named Archie.

"It's hard when you're used to being with your friends and doing what you want and now there are all of these restrictions just to keep everybody safe. We're all looking forward to seeing kids back on the street playing ball hockey and riding their bikes around."

In further answering Archie's question, Siragusa said they don't when this is all going end but there are a lot of doctors, nurses, and scientists that are working very hard trying to identify when this is going to end and looking for medicine to stop it. "So I can't give you an exact date, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it's going to be soon as well. But what I would say is that now is a good time to be creative. Now is a good time to be creative and think of new ways to connect with people."

Siragusa suggested asking your parents if you can have a telephone play date or a video dance party. "Try and find some fun and new ways of connecting with your friends because it's really important to stay connected with people."

Doctor William Li, a pediatrician from the Manitoba Clinic in Winnipeg answered a question by Andrew, a Grade 3 student who asked, 'what would COVID-19 look like if a kid had it?'

"The most common symptoms that a child with COVID-19 would have, include high temperature, a slight cough, and just overall feeling tired and not wanting to do some of the things you previously liked to do. Some kids also can get some tummy pains, and looser and watery poops."

Meanwhile, Dr. Li recommended singing or humming the happy birthday song twice while washing your hands and using a clean towel or paper towel to turn the tap off and to handle the doorknob of the washroom.

Hannah, a Grade 10 student asked Dr. Li, 'if teens have vaped, are they more vulnerable to long term effects of COVID 19?' Dr. Li says vaping isn't recommended for a number of reasons. He says generally, vaping and smoking can decrease your lungs defenses and make you more vulnerable to getting any and all sorts of viruses.

Dr. Li says kids who vape and get COVID-19 are specifically at increased risk for a few things. "They're at increased risk for having a sicker disease, they're at increased risk for of developing a more s severe form of infection that goes into their lungs called pneumonia, and also they're at increased risk of going to the hospital and needing extra supports, like oxygen and breathing masks."

Tara, a Grade 12 student, who like so many other class of 2020 students anticipating their graduation this June, wanted to know if grad ceremonies would likely be cancelled or moved to a later date.

"Grade 12 is a big year for everybody, and it's really unfortunate that this coronavirus is throwing the plans off," said Siragusa. "I think what I would suggest is that you would stay in contact with your teachers to let them know that you do want a graduation party and a celebration, and if it can't be as scheduled at the end of June, then maybe it can be scheduled at another time. I don't know that the schools and the teachers have actually made any firm decisions on that. It really will depend on how this virus goes, but it certainly doesn't mean that the celebration shouldn't happen, it just means that we may have to look at a different time to do it."