CDC planning to release new guidance on how K-12 students can physically return to classroom. 7/6/20

[Anonymous]

An opinion piece by Amita Sudhir (associate professor of emergency medicine and the director of the emergency medicine residency program at the University of Virginia) on the medical case for reopening schools.

-kids don't get it much
-kids don't transmit it to adults much
-the example of Israel isn't great because there's a lot of not wearing masks
-closed schools are terrible for already-disadvantaged kids
-closed schools will lead to women giving up their employment
-there are mitigation measures we should use
-there's not much evidence of risk of open schools, there's lot of evidence of risk of closed schools
-the only way to assess the risk of open schools is to open schools

"Given the enormous cost of keeping kids out of school, even part time, the rational solution is to reopen. As with everything else with COVID, we have to make sound decisions based on what we do know, and right now, the available data mostly suggests that the risk to reopening schools is low and the benefit is high."

[Anonymous]

^^^whoops, link here: https://slate.com/technology/2020/07/school-reopening-medical-case.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in an email conversation with the superintendent and BOE of a school system in a more rural part of MD where we own a second home. They're saying they can't open full-time because the rule of only 15 kids/classroom (I guess based on 6 foot social distancing guidelines).

Per this thread, as I understand it CDC now says they can relax that for schools. Does anyone have a link to the actual CDC guidelines? I found this link but it's dated from May:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

They may not be following all the latest news as closely, so if I can point them to CDC guidelines that will alllow less spacing in classrooms, that may convince them.

To my knowledge (happy to be corrected if wrong), the CDC has not updated its guidance w/r/t school reopening since April and May. They did release FAQs on June 3rd. 6 feet was still recommended. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools-faq.html

The AAP released its recommendation that policy considerations start with the goal of sending children to school in-person. It has this comment re: distancing: "Desks should be placed 3 to 6 feet apart when feasible" and "Universal face coverings in middle and high schools when not able to maintain a 6-foot distance (students and adults)." https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/07/09/politics/cdc-guidelines-school-reopenings/index.html
CDC not caving to trump’s bullying.