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This Op-Ed regarding opening schools is excellent. To members of @RPS535 board & @munoz535 , please read.
I will summarize the salient points below 1/
@BridgetPulosMD @NickPulosMD @DrGarcia4SB @AlexAndersonMD @Jmanassa @EBHabermann https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/vinay-prasad/90658?fbclid=IwAR2doFv67RG4QoipdbvX8IYRgSjqKK2nhUIihAwY87rpyKLNl2KJ-YPedh4
I will summarize the salient points below 1/
@BridgetPulosMD @NickPulosMD @DrGarcia4SB @AlexAndersonMD @Jmanassa @EBHabermann https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/vinay-prasad/90658?fbclid=IwAR2doFv67RG4QoipdbvX8IYRgSjqKK2nhUIihAwY87rpyKLNl2KJ-YPedh4
Risks to kids:
Study from Sweden (w/o masking
): Of nearly 2 million children, 15 developed severe #COVID19
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2026670?query=TOC
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Study from Sweden (w/o masking
): Of nearly 2 million children, 15 developed severe #COVID19 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2026670?query=TOC
/2
Risks to kids (cont):
Study from North Carolina published in @AAPNews looked at hybrid in-person learning for K-12 and found just 32 cases of in-school transmission among students and teachers
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2021/01/06/peds.2020-048090.full.pdf
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Study from North Carolina published in @AAPNews looked at hybrid in-person learning for K-12 and found just 32 cases of in-school transmission among students and teachers
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2021/01/06/peds.2020-048090.full.pdf
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Benefits to kids:
Education is essential for building knowledge and skills leading 
productive and rewarding lives
Education is a vehicle for upward mobility.
Schools also help develop non-cognitive skills (executive function/self control)
etc. /4
Education is essential for building knowledge and skills leading productive and rewarding livesEducation is a vehicle for upward mobility. Schools also help develop non-cognitive skills (executive function/self control) etc. /4
Risks to Teachers:
Swedish data, there was no significant increase for the risk of severe COVID among preschool teachers when compared to people in the general population, and there was no increased risk among regular school teachers (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.68). /5
Swedish data, there was no significant increase for the risk of severe COVID among preschool teachers when compared to people in the general population, and there was no increased risk among regular school teachers (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.68). /5
Risks to Teachers cont:
There are a number of high-profile anecdotes of school employees becoming infected from fellow co-workers. (?? not social distancing eating lunch in break room??).
Swedish teachers were at far lower risk than other workers such as taxi drivers. /6
There are a number of high-profile anecdotes of school employees becoming infected from fellow co-workers. (?? not social distancing eating lunch in break room??).
Swedish teachers were at far lower risk than other workers such as taxi drivers. /6
And the community?
A German study found that opening schools appeared to have no impact on the dynamics of the epidemic - all members of the community (not just teachers/kids). They concluded, "the benefits of their closures do not outweigh the costs."
https://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_22_20.pdf
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A German study found that opening schools appeared to have no impact on the dynamics of the epidemic - all members of the community (not just teachers/kids). They concluded, "the benefits of their closures do not outweigh the costs."
https://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_22_20.pdf
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Risks for keeping schools closed for kids:
Decrease in quality of education
Reports of child abuse have plummeted
Increasing obesity
Increasing juvenile gun violence
Impact to mental health
/8 https://edsource.org/2020/california-sees-steep-drop-in-reports-of-child-abuse-since-campuses-closed/640462
Decrease in quality of education
Reports of child abuse have plummeted
Increasing obesity
Increasing juvenile gun violence
Impact to mental health
/8 https://edsource.org/2020/california-sees-steep-drop-in-reports-of-child-abuse-since-campuses-closed/640462
Impact of closures on teachers/school workers:
Drop in enrollment (homeschooling, private schools, etc)
Drop in funding
Drop in reputation
Tax payers may be less likely to vote for tax increase
/9 https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/22/22193775/states-public-school-enrollment-decline-covid
Drop in enrollment (homeschooling, private schools, etc)
Drop in funding
Drop in reputation
Tax payers may be less likely to vote for tax increase
/9 https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/22/22193775/states-public-school-enrollment-decline-covid
Impact of closures on parents/community:
May impact future economic growth
Disproportionately impacts women: More than 2 million women have left the labor force & many have reduced hours. In December, they accounted for all reported job losses
/10 https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/economy/women-job-losses-pandemic/index.html
May impact future economic growthDisproportionately impacts women: More than 2 million women have left the labor force & many have reduced hours. In December, they accounted for all reported job losses/10 https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/economy/women-job-losses-pandemic/index.html
"Schools must remain open unless the local healthcare system is facing collapse, due to capacity constraints. The tradeoffs favor doing everything possible to keep schools open... Deciding which course is best when facing hard tradeoffs is the hallmark of policy."
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"When it comes to pandemics, there are no winners. Opening schools means we lose less. Sometimes losing less is the best we can do."
