Back to school and your social bubble: Some worry it could mean a grandparent getting COVID-19

It's been tough for Nariman Ansari playing both mom and teacher these past few months, and that's not changing come September.

She's decided to keep her son and daughter at home since her elderly father lives with her, and having her children at school would mean they would potentially be exposing the entire family to hundreds of different people, and possibly more chances to catch COVID-19. 

"My father is senior; he's had heart surgery," said Ansari. "I don't know how I would manage. My son is in high school. What is he supposed to do? Come home every day, take off his clothes at the door and shower?"

The decision was a tough one for her, especially since her eight-year-old daughter has been struggling not having that social interaction with classmates and teachers. 

"I can see the anxiety in her as well," said Ansari, who lives in Richmond Hill and is able to work from home. "In the past few months she's been crying for no reason … I wish I could do something else but the risk is too high."

Many parents across the Greater Toronto Area have been debating whether to send their kids to school, especially if they have an elderly parent living with them or rely on grandparents for child care. One Vaughan mother said she won't be turning to her father for babysitting until she sees how the novel coronavirus is behaving after schools reopen. 

Should kids stop seeing grandparents? Doctor says it depends
Figuring out how going back to school will affect everyone's social bubble and level of risk is the million-dollar question, says Dr. Michael Gardam, an infectious disease specialist at Women's College Hospital. 

"We've gotten very used to having small social bubbles and there's no doubt that school is going to open that up." He says younger kids and teenagers in school are not going to be as compliant with physical distancing measures. 

But should parents remove grandparents from their social circle? Dr. Gardam says it's an option. CBC