|
|
|
The views expressed on this page are
solely
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of County
News Online
|
|
Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. News & World Report
More Evidence Suggests In-Person School is Safe, as Long as Virus Is Controlled
Researchers found no evidence that reopening schools increased COVID-19
hospitalizations in the 75% of counties that had low coronavirus
hospitalization rates during the summer.
By Lauren Camera, Senior Education Writer
Jan. 5, 2021
REOPENING SCHOOLS FOR in-person learning did not result in an increase
in coronavirus hospitalizations as long as hospitalization rates in the
community were low at the time of reopening, according to the latest
study to wade into the controversial K-12 reopening debate.
The study – conducted by researchers at the National Center for
Research on Education Access and Choice, a school choice advocacy,
policy and research organization run out of Tulane University – seems
to bolster the emerging narrative that the benefits of getting children
back into the classroom outweigh the risks as long as infection rates
are relatively low and schools are vigilant about mask-wearing, social
distancing and sanitization.
Notably, the study is the first to examine how reopening schools in
person has affected COVID-19 health outcomes as opposed to positivity
rates.
"It appears that, when hospitalizations rates are low, it is safe to
reopen schools in-person," said Doug Harris, study co-author and
director of the research center. "This conclusion is consistent across
a wide range of data and research methods. This is important given the
side effects of closure for students, such as limiting access to
essential services, social isolation, and learning loss."
Researchers combined data on school district reopening plans with
information on coronavirus-related hospitalizations from the company
Change Healthcare, which has health care claims for 170 million people,
as well as data from the Department of Health and Human Services that
includes nearly every hospital in the U.S.
They found no evidence that reopening schools in-person or in a hybrid
form increased COVID-19 hospitalizations in the 75% of counties that
had low coronavirus hospitalization rates during the summer, prior to
reopening schools. Specifically, they conclude that it "seems safe to
reopen schools" when there are no more than 36 to 44 total new COVID-19
hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week.
However, for counties that had higher rates of hospitalizations before
schools reopening, the study's results were inconsistent and thus
inconclusive.
"Given the spike in hospitalizations in recent months, policymakers
should be cautious," Engy Ziedan, a health care economist at Tulane and
co-author of the study, said.
"It may not be safe to reopen schools where the virus is already
widespread," she said, adding that keeping teachers and school staff in
high-risk categories out of school also remains important.
That particular finding mirrors findings from other studies that
conclude reopening school for in-person learning doesn't increase
positivity rates so long as the community's infections rates are low to
begin with – a monster condition given that infection rates and
hospitalization rates are spiking around the country and that many
school districts lack the necessary resources to provide masks to staff
and students, establish sanitization stations, reconfigure classrooms
for social distancing and establish rigorous testing and contact
tracing systems.
|
|
|
|
