My kids go to the park maybe once a week, and we let them play with other masked kids. They are told to keep 6 feet apart, and it varies, but they do a pretty good job of it. They’re outside and masked, so we think the risk vs them having no socializing is worth it.
On two occasions, my kids (both 7) have tried to talk to, from 6 feet away, another, younger kid, maybe 4 or 5, who started screaming – literally – like they were being attacked. Those kids were utterly terrified of my kids coming near them. I’m worried about how this pandemic has affected everyone, but particularly young kids you can’t explain things to in much detail. Some of them are going to come away with some issues that may be pretty difficult and life changing.
You’re not the first parent I’ve heard who is concerned about that. One mom was telling me how it almost broke her heart to see her son showing real fear when his cousin got too close. (4-6 yr olds)
I try not to judge too much how other people balance the risks, but I’m generally happy with how things have gone for us. I have no idea if those kids have someone very vulnerable in their household or something, which makes contact much more consequential. I mean, my daughter has big impulse control difficulties, and a few years ago, we would have had to do things very differently, too.
Yes, that’s the sort of thing that lets me understand why many people would honestly get the feeling of “OMG, is this ever going to be back to normal?” It’s not always just about our enjoyable old routines or what we’re comfortable with.
That said, going back to the OP, damn! I mean, really, if you’re a Health Care Professional, I should expect you look and act like it. There’s really no excuse as of this date.