The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has generated more public hatred and reaction (and some support) following its recent announcement that it supports reopening in the fall, even as COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
Parents, teachers, school administrators, caregivers, and other staff, and even academics who are old enough to perceive the dangers of returning to school, are concerned about whether schools will reopen. They also wonder what they’ll do if they open or not.
Some families will have no selection: schools will reopen or not, and academics will have to return or adapt to distance education. Other schools check hybrid plans where students physically spend time at school and time learning at home. Even others will give families the option to send their children to school or keep them at home.
Teachers, parents and academics face decisions this fall.
Everyone has their own reviews and is entitled to them, however, it is undeniable that reopening schools this fall carries enormous dangers, not only for students, but also for teachers, administrators, staff and families of all.
This is a resolution that should be taken lightly.
CNET spoke with Rebecca Mannis, PhD, Learning Specialist and owner of the Ivy Prep Learning Center; Dr. Chad Sanborn, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Physician at Kidz Medical Services; and Gwen Murphy, PHD, Director of Epidemiology at LetsGetChecked to learn more about the dangers of reopening schools in the fall and how families can stay safe.
Read more: Coronavirus is mutating, however, you get scared
We believe, or expect everyone to understand the great threat of reopening schools, a global pandemic: an increase in the number of other inflamed people and more people with potentially fatal coVID-19 cases.
“The main risk would be that the children will contract COVID-19 more frequently in school, and that the teachers will be exposed to and could become infected as well,” Dr. Sanborn says. “Aside from the risk of infected children potentially becoming very ill, which is fortunately a rare occurrence, there is also the risk to the children’s families if the kids bring the virus home.”
Finally, according to Dr. Sanborn although it seems that children may not spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus as effectively as adults, there is still major concern about a possible spike in infection rates, particularly in regions where infection rates are already high.
Murphy reiterates this concern, while stressing that the threat of the spread of the new coronavirus in schools depends heavily on infection rates in the region and other factors.
“Threats count a lot in individual cases of children, families, and communities,” Murphy says. “If your child has safe underlying medical conditions, the threat of getting COVID-19 after being surrounded by many other people, adding kidren, is greater.
Likewise, Murphy points out that if someone in your household has a medical condition that makes it more likely they could develop a serious and potentially life-threatening case of COVID-19, having kids go back to school means they could more easily contract the coronavirus and infect that person.”
The takeaway: Reopening schools could lead to increases in infection rates and deaths, although many factors influence the specific risks for a given school. It’s up to each family to evaluate the risks of sending their children back to school.
“One thing is certain,” Murphy says, “Any return to school or work will require that we all practice personal hygiene (teaching our kids to wash their hands, cough and sneeze into their elbows, and so on) and pay attention to our general health and symptoms every day, and anyone with any symptoms should stay home.”
Other than that, there really is no consensus. We’ve seen that with the CDC’s stance on the matter, followed by the serious backlash from school and medical professionals.
“While there may not be a true consensus on schools opening, we pediatricians do all agree with the CDC that, in a perfect scenario, we would all like schools to be open,” Dr. Sanborn says, nodding to the fact that, based on available evidence, young children don’t seem to contract or transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus as easily as adults.
Murphy agrees, but also points out that it is true that “children have died because of COVID-19, so there are exceptions that we don’t yet understand.” Of course, no studies about coronavirus are conclusive, and there is still much to be learned about the way the virus spreads.
Mannis, a learning specialist, says there is abundant conversation among school professionals, and the general consensus in her industry is that “Regardless of how instruction is provided, we need to make learning interactive, effective, equitable and collaborative.”
“Successful learning requires a variety of ingredients,” Mannis says, “such as access to tools, higher education for teachers, opportunity to collaborate, and youth and families in terms of educational and emotional facets of COVID-19 times learning.”
The most important thing is to follow the public health rules and guidelines in your area, including state mandates, local mandates and individual school mandates. No matter where you’re located, these rules are in place for a good reason: Health officials think they will reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
For the most part, general public fitness rules also to schools:
The “simple” component – in dating brands because none of this is simple – is to install sanitation stations, keep soap dispensers full, get masks and clean surfaces.
The most difficult (and the biggest problem) is that physical distance is unlikely in maximum schools. Memories of my public school come with crowded corridors of academics walking in all directions; Complete study rooms with desks a few centimeters away; Crowded bathrooms and overcrowded dining rooms.
To combat those issues, Dr. Sanborn says other helpful measures would be to:
No one’s efforts to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19 can be complete unless the same efforts are taken at home.
If you send your children back to school, you may feel like you don’t have more than what’s going on at school. However, you can contact school principals and learn about their fitness and protection protocols. Consider it your duty to make sure your child’s school takes the necessary precautions.
Parents can also take the liberty of educating and advising their children on the dangers and tactics to mitigate them, including young people. Some things you can do to include:
We know the risk of SARS-CoV-2 living on clothes and shoes is low, but you can still have your kids leave their shoes and backpacks on the porch or in the garage if it makes you feel safer. You may decide it’s best for your kids to shower as soon as they get home and put on clean clothes, especially if you have an elderly or immunocompromised person living in your home.
One other step to take is continuing your practice of social distancing throughout the school year. If you send your kids back to school, it might be best to stay within your “germ pod” and avoid seeing people outside of your household or immediate circle of friends and family. This reduces the risk of secondary infections.
There are so many demanding situations that stand out since the reopening of schools, in addition to the apparent risks of physical fitness. How will low-income families get the equipment they want for distance education? Will schools supply laptops to all academics? What about academics who don’t have access to the Internet?
Some families struggle to put food on the table for dinner — now they’ll be forced to figure out breakfast and lunch, too. If this is a concern for your family, research programs in your area that may be providing free or discounted meals to students. In some parts of the country, schools that will remain closed are offering meals for pick-up.
If schools don’t reopen, families with two parents painting from home would likely have to give up a paycheck to care for their children or pay for child care. Even parents who paint from home may want to organize child care or homeschooling if their paintings do not allow common breaks or flexible schedules.
Some parents will be forced to take on a new role as house instructors if they have not already done so, in addition to other obligations from the family circle. Students will have to adapt to new learning environments and potentially give up the dynamic social interactions they are used to in school.
To put it lightly, parents and school professionals have a lot on their plates right now. Remember that there’s no best answer for everyone: There’s only best answer for each family, and what’s best for your family might not be best for your neighbors, friends, colleagues, siblings or others.
“The first step is clearly keeping our kids and teachers safe and healthy,” Mannis says. “Many schools are likely to face shifts in how instruction is delivered, so we continue to provide instruction that can work in either situation [at home or in school]. It takes strong teaching, along with good planning and coordination, but it is doable.”
This is a time to do what will keep you, your children, and other family members safe and healthy — without giving mind to what people around you are doing or saying. CNET wishes health, safety and hope to all parents, students, teachers, administrators and support staff.
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