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Several Michigan's largest school districts in the state will not require kids to wear masks

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Several of the state's largest school districts say they won't require kids to wear masks this fall.

But some medical experts believe that's a dangerous policy.

At Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, pediatrician Dr. Sandy Patel says as many as half of kids who get COVID may go on to develop long-term complications.

She says some parents are underestimating the risks for their kids:

"It's just something that's not talked about. It's sort of like, 'Oh, it's a cold. He had a cold for two weeks and he's fine, or a few days. But there definitely are some long-term complications that we're seeing, especially in our patients who have who are obese, have diabetes, they definitely have a higher risk for getting complications."

Patel says they're seeing pediatric COVID patients come in with a wide variety of symptoms, like hives, asthma, dehydration, and psychological disturbances.

Kate Wells is a Peabody Award-winning journalist and co-host of the Michigan Public and NPR podcast Believed.
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