Is Coronavirus a Danger To My Schoolkids? Here's What Two Doctors Say
In short, children pose little risk to others, and that risk only decreases if the school or school district implements good safety precautions.
Anderson: This is a difficult decision that many now have to make. Every family’s situation is different, and those who aren’t certain should consult with medical providers. Families should have the choice between in-person or remote learning for just this reason.
Our elderly are feeling more isolated and lonely during the pandemic as well. It has affected their quality of life, physical well-being, and mental health. There may be some creative ways to safely continue family interaction and keep the elder family member safe when kids return to school. There is just not a one-size-fits-all solution that will suit every family.
Pham: The science shows repeatedly that children are at extremely low risk for transmitting the virus to adults. One worldwide study found that outbreaks or clusters of COVID-19 were traced back to adults in more than 90% of cases.
That said, the risk to elder Americans is great. Even though most of the recent cases are among those less than 65, most hospitalizations and deaths have been among those 65 and older.
This means that school-aged children and most teachers are at low risk for hospitalizations and deaths, but families that have elders in the household should consider further safety measures. It would be reasonable for these families to continue distance learning or otherwise keep children away from schools where maintaining distance and isolation is difficult or impossible.
In short, children pose little risk to others, and that risk only decreases if the school or school district implements good safety precautions. But the risk will never be zero, and families will have to look at what the schools are planning and decide for themselves how to proceed.
Policymakers should look to support those choices. As my colleague Lindsey Burke has written, families who want in-person instruction should be able to take their child’s share of education funding to learning options of choice.
This article by Amy Anderson and Kevin Pham first appeared in The Daily Signal on August 11, 2020.
Image: Reuters.