Outdoor classes, remote learning, smaller cohorts, and masks are all part of the equation.
This is a fall like no other: reopening schools for learning has become a great experiment. Some school districts in the US and Canada have opened for in-person learning and have stayed that way. Others have remained closed, and others still have opened only to close down again as cases of the virus have surged. (You can check out state-by-state information regarding school operations during the pandemic here).
We do know this: the novel coronavirus hits adults harder than it does children and youth, on average. In the US, just 0.2% of patients aged 17 and under died from COVID-19 as of mid-July 2020. In the UK, about t 0.15% of cases in youths resulted in death by this time, and about 0.013% in Canada. Contrast this, the crude death rate for adults is assumed to be about 3% to 4% worldwide, and it can be about double this in older adults. Of course, just one death is one too many. The point is, the risk of death from COVID-19 for adults is greater on average than it is for kids.
The virus can result in serious cases in children and youth, however. In August 2020, a 7-year old boy died of the coronavirus in Georgia. He became the youngest fatality in the state, and was said to have no known underlying health conditions. An otherwise healthy 19-year old in Montreal, Canada also died from COVID-19 in mid-August. This was after a three-week fight with the illness. He had been told in the first week to go home and isolate there for 14 days. Things got worse in the third week, and his family returned him to the hospital, but he never got to leave. His father isn’t sure what went wrong.
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Health officials once thought the novel coronavirus wasn’t spread that much by children. Recent studies and investigations have actually found children play host to extremely high levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in their nasal passages. In fact, the viral loads in those people under the age of 22 who had few symptoms were significantly and surprisingly higher than in adults hospitalized in ICUs with the virus. So, kids do not generally get so sick. They can definitely make others very sick, however.
Obviously schools have a tough slog ahead of them trying to re-open safely. There are multiple approaches being taken around the globe. In Turin, Italy, Denmark, and parts of the US, some schools are transitioning to holding classes outside. While this could present some logistical hurdles at first, it might be worth it. According to the Atlantic.com, one study showed the virus is transmitted 20 times more inside than it is outside.
Schools located in places where it is too hot or eventually too cold in winter to venture outside all day are opting for other approaches. In China and other parts of Asia such as Japan and South Korea, almost all students and teachers are being required to wear masks. They do so all day, and in China, the masks are only removed for lunch. This is when students sit separated by plastic or glass partitions.
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In Belgium, some schools are reported to be using churches in order to spread students out for social distancing to be possible. In Israel, masks are required for all children. Some parts of Canada will be doing the same as Finland where class sizes are as they were before the pandemic, but they do not mix with one another at any time. This means lunch is held in the classroom, and recess is done class by class.
In contrast, places like the Netherlands are now saying that only people over the age of 17 need to practice social distancing. Everyone younger is free to mix and mingle.
The truth is, we don’t really know what approach will result in the fewest cases, apart from remote learning. Children aren’t perfect angels. Reports indicate many seem to be understanding the importance of the current situation, however. Kids know there is a pandemic on. It’s been going on long enough, it’s hard to avoid. Many, apart from the odd group of teens at troubling pool parties, also generally know the virus is potentially dangerous. They are keeping their masks on when asked, just as the majority will sit down on a school bus and not dance in the aisles, because that is what you are supposed to do. Sit.
While reopening works in some areas, it doesn’t in others. We need to keep watching numbers, and hedging our bets accordingly. If nothing else, September will be interesting.
photo credits: MikeDotta/Shutterstock.com
