New Wichita group to focus on children’s health during the pandemic

We expect our loved ones to treat us kindly. We expect our schools to offer a good education to students at every level. We expect our politicians to be honest and trustworthy and have our best interests in mind at all times.

Sorry, got carried away there. But sadly, some expectations have gone by the way side. And that’s one reason why, I think, this pandemic is giving us fits.

First of all we didn’t expect it.

And when we were convinced it would get our attention, we wanted to know when to expect it to go away and return everything to normal. We expected those in the medical field to figure it out and fix it. After all, look at all the things you’ve gone to the doctor for and you got well. Maybe you even got a new body part. Anyone in the field of medicine these days has proven they’re amazing and essential. They have lived up to our expectations in a good way.

But the coronavirus has gone beyond our expectations, in a bad way.

Thanks to the experts in all fields, we usually know approximately when a crisis will end. For example, we are warned when a tornado is coming. Afterward we estimate the extent of the damage and have an expectation of the date all will be repaired.

But this horrific virus came without warning or information on how long it will be around or how long it will take to repair the damage. Generally speaking, Americans are not a patient lot. That’s why, when our expectations are not met, we get concerned, and impatient. Some are frowning under those masks.

Those are the people who need to think how lucky they are to be healthy and perhaps put more fiber in their diets.

Even though it’s been said children are not as susceptible to the virus, some have been infected. And just like adults and young people, kids are getting depressed and are impatient to take off their masks and get with their friends.

In the grocery store a little guy, probably about five, was shouting through his mask at his mom because he was not getting the chewing gum he wanted. She said, “Why are you acting this way?” He yanked his mask off and said, “Well, what do you expect?”

After that incident I was happy to learn of the recent formation of a regional collaborative group of medical professionals, which will address children’s health during this pandemic and transition into the next phases of the impacts on society.

Kansas COVID Workgroup for Kids (KCWK) provides a collaborative group of regional medical experts to identify, address and provide guidance on the physical, social and psychological impacts on children related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This work group of regional and local experts is sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Department of Pediatrics.

Seeing the many random acts of kindness taking place and the feel-good stories we hear about are especially nice because most are unexpected and all are good news.

Perhaps looking back at history and seeing how people reacted to pandemics decades and centuries ago, we can learn what to expect. After all, human emotions don’t change that much even over centuries.

Let’s set our individual expectations high. Stay healthy, help others stay healthy, be kind and patient and help those who need it, whether it’s a donation, a task, or just an uplifting phone call. No, a ZOOM meeting doesn’t count as an uplifting phone call.

And for Pete’s sake, if you need help, ask for it with the expectation of getting what you need.