Schools should reopen as soon as possible if social distance and wearing masks can be maintained to keep personal learning safe, health officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a study published on Tuesday.
The research, published online in the journal JAMA, provides a framework on how to open schools safely while limiting the spread of Covid-19. The research supports “a way forward to maintain or return mainly or entirely to face-to-face education,” according to the study.
The recommendations provide some clarity on a controversial topic and offer much-needed guidance to local authorities, school administrators and parents.
But opening schools safely also requires controlling the spread of the virus within communities, the scientists said. As a result, they recommended maintaining other rules that are designed to reduce transmission, but have been politically unpopular, such as restrictions on indoor meals.
“The decisions made today can help ensure the safe functioning of schools and provide essential services for children and adolescents in the United States,” wrote the scientists. “Some of those decisions can be difficult.”
The researchers said data from the autumn semester of schools in the United States and other countries show that schools are not responsible for the same type of worrying outbreak that has been reported in nursing homes, correctional facilities and “workplaces in high density “as refrigerators.
“There is little evidence that schools have contributed significantly to increasing transmission in the community,” they wrote. And keeping schools closed “can adversely affect academic progress, mental health and access to essential student services”.
CDC scientists said that while returning to face-to-face learning is recommended, schools should limit activities that can increase the risk of transmission, such as sports and indoor competitions.
The study cited a high school wrestling tournament in Florida last month that brought together 130 student-athletes from 10 schools. The tournament became a widespread event and led to 38 infections. Through contact tracking, 41 more infections were identified and one death was reported. An investigation to track secondary transmissions continues, according to the study.
To protect students and teachers, CDC scientists said schools should require certain mitigation measures, such as wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, increasing indoor ventilation and using a “hybrid” approach that combines face-to-face and online learning when necessary to avoid the crowded classrooms. The guidelines also state that testing should be expanded so that infected teachers or students can be identified quickly and isolated.
