Face masks and pandemic protocols nearly wipe out day school illnesses and last updated 2021-06-04 14:30:28-04 CHICAGO â The conversation over whether children unvaccinated against COVID-19 should continue to wear face masks is hotly debated in medical circles. But more than a year of masking, hand-washing, and social distancing has made one thing clearer: children are getting sick less often. Some are now asking whether these protocols should be used to fend off other illnesses, well beyond the pandemic. For the last 14 months, preschoolers at Laurance Armour Day School in Chicago have been masking up. âHand hygiene and masking has been crucial for us from the beginning,â said the school's program director Maria Walker. âDisinfecting, making sure everything's clean. High visible areas are cleaned every half an hour.â