Keep Kids Safe At School
School begins next week for most schools in southwestern Pennsylvania. Across the state — indeed across much of the country — parents everywhere are increasingly concerned about schools reopening in the midst of the current resurgence of COVID-19.
As everyone knows, kids have been spared the worst of the physical harms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Earlier in the pandemic, children had low rates of infection and transmission of the virus. Hospitalizations in the pediatric population were low, and so were deaths. When schools finally reopened after a long period of lockdowns and virtual learning, kids were able to remain relatively untouched by coronavirus because schools adopted specific public health strategies to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission, including physical distancing and universal masking. Not only was COVID-19 rare in children last year, but so were cold viruses and influenza. By the start of summer break, transmission, new infections, hospitalizations, and deaths caused by coronavirus had been drastically reduced.
Credit the public for using those layers of protection, as well as the rapid uptake of effective, safe, and free vaccines for everyone 12 years old and up, for feeling like Americans had COVID-19 on the run just as schools were letting out for the summer. Those of us who were vaccinated looked forward to a “normal” summer of activities and social gatherings. Those who were not yet vaccinated were advised by doctors and public health experts to lay low and continue wearing face masks in public until they received the requisite number of jabs to be deemed fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, despite clear messaging from the CDC and medical experts, that second part didn’t happen. Misinformation and disinformation spread rapidly — certainly faster than the truth — and those who rejected the vaccine decided the pandemic was over for them too. A devastating miscalculation, it turns out.
So here we are. The Delta variant is more transmissible and behaves more aggressively than previous strains, resulting in high levels of severe illness in unvaccinated people. On the other hand, vaccinated people continue to have impressive coverage against all the variants that have emerged since the beginning of the pandemic, including the Delta variant. Breakthrough infections are extremely rare in vaccinated individuals; fewer than 1% of vaccinated folks have had a documented breakthrough infection. Being fully vaccinated means having an extremely low risk of developing long-term symptoms and complications, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19. The converse is true in people who aren’t vaccinated: their risks are high for all of the poor outcomes just listed.
Keeping all kids safe is our number one responsibility as adults. Keeping them healthy and keeping them in school rather than learning at home online should be our biggest priorities as we near the opening of the school year. To meet that challenge, we’ll need to get back to these basics:
• Get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Get your children vaccinated if they are eligible. Do it ASAP! There is now abundant peer-reviewed evidence that the three approved COVID vaccines work extremely well to reduce the incidence and severity of the disease. There is also abundant evidence to know with certainty that not being vaccinated increases the risk of severe illness, complications, long-COVID symptoms, and death from the Delta variant.
• Follow the evidence-based guidance from the CDC. Since the data changes on a daily basis, CDC recommendations may also change from time to time. That is a strength of science, not a weakness. The current recommendation is to avoid large, indoor gatherings and wear face masks in areas with substantial or high transmission rates. Most counties in the United States fall into this category.
• The CDC and the AAP are strongly urging school districts where transmission rates are substantial or high (again, most places in America currently) to adopt universal face mask protocols for all students, teachers, and staff, regardless of vaccination status. Many school districts have accepted universal face mask protocols, at least until rates of transmission fall to low levels. But there are many school districts that refuse to adopt this simple public health measure. Some school boards are waiting for mandates to be declared by state governments and health departments. (They may still be waiting on Monday when schools open.) Many districts are intimidated by a few angry parents who have little if any public health expertise, let alone empathy for keeping kids and families safe during the worst pandemic in over a century. All are worried the sky will fall if they make a decision one way or the other; parents are angry on both sides, and lawyers will be more than happy to litigate on their behalf.
We know that masks work when they fit well and are worn correctly covering the mouth and nose. In fact, aside from vaccines, wearing a face mask in public is the simplest and most effective action we can take to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2. This is especially important in protecting students too young to receive a vaccine, and for those who live and go to school with weaker immune systems.
If kids bring COVID-19 home from school and expose their unvaccinated parents and grandparents to the virus, this is where the surge can really get out of control. Exposed adults who are not fully vaccinated will need to be tested, sometimes several times. Unless they work remotely from home, they will have to miss work (and possibly lose income) until cleared by negative testing. That’s the best case scenario. The worst case is they get sick and leave their children orphaned. Both scenarios have already panned out many, many times during this pandemic.
In contrast, children and their parents who are vaccinated will not need to go into quarantine or be tested if they know they’ve been exposed. The more adults and children can be fully vaccinated, the less likely it becomes that schools will close again, forcing students to learn remotely.
If anyone needs reminding, the AAP explains why safe, in-person learning is so important for our children:
Schools provide more than just academics to children and adolescents. In addition to reading, writing and math, students learn social and emotional skills, get exercise, and have access to mental health and other support services. For many families, schools are where kids get healthy meals, access to the internet, and other vital services.
The pandemic has been especially hard for children with disabilities, children living in poverty, and children who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native. In an April 2020 survey, more than half (59%) of parents with lower incomes who had children in schools that were remote because of the pandemic said their children would likely face at least one of three obstacles to digital learning: lack of reliable internet at home, for example, no computer at home, or needing to use a smartphone to complete schoolwork.
School starts next week, but it’s time right now for parents to get to work and make sure their children get back to school and stay there safely. It’s up to all of us to be responsible and listen to the experts who only want to protect kids — all kids — and keep them healthy.
Read additional recommendations from the AAP for keeping kids safe at school during the pandemic here.