Adam Busby's Comments About Kids And Coronavirus Ignite Controversy

After months of being homeschooled, the Busby kids of OutDaughtered fame are heading back to school. Some fans were critical of the news, slamming Adam and Danielle Busby for sending their kids back to school in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adam and Danielle have never been ones to put up with parent-shaming, though, and Adam quickly clapped back on social media. "Homeschooling six kids is not sustainable for us," Adam explained in the comments of an Instagram post (via In Touch Weekly). "We had a taste of home school last year and learned real quick that we can't keep all of our business and other obligations afloat and run a school out of our home at the same time. It's a virus that doesn't even affect children and we are confident in their school's protocols for safety."

A commenter was quick to point out that the virus does affect children, to which Adam responded "Most children that contract COVID-19 are asymptomatic and the ones that aren't developing severe symptoms are extremely rare. So yes, it doesn't really affect children."

While it's true that fewer cases of the virus have been reported in children under the age of 18 than in adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that cases of COVID-19 in children have been on the rise. As of August 3, 7.3 percent of reported COVID-19 cases have been among children under the age of 18. Children who test positive for COVID-19 are significantly less likely to be hospitalized, although it can be lethal in rare cases.

"It's not fair to say that this virus is completely benign in children," Dr. Sean O'Leaery, vice-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, told CNN earlier this month. "We've had 90 deaths in children in the US already, in just a few months."

Whether or not schools should reopen this fall has been a point of controversy across the nation. As noted by The New York Times, many districts are opting to delay opening or to teach remotely. Per the CDC, though, it's safe for schools in communities without widespread COVID-19 outbreaks to reopen as long as "appropriate precautions are taken." Adam is confident that his kids' school is implementing the correct measures to keep them safe, and the quints are delighted to be back in the classroom. "KINDERGARTEN has arrived!" wrote Danielle in an Instagram post on the quints' first day of school. "I can't believe it! The quints were so excited about today."