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Do you have thoughts about school reopenings? Of course you do; this is Twitter!
In the debate, I want to highlight a point from a new paper w/ @MeaganCFitz, @SalomonJA, @aciaranello:
Asymptomatic screening can BOTH interrupt transmission & provide key info for decisions. 1/n
In the debate, I want to highlight a point from a new paper w/ @MeaganCFitz, @SalomonJA, @aciaranello:
Asymptomatic screening can BOTH interrupt transmission & provide key info for decisions. 1/n
We made an agent-based network model of school transmission, suggesting, as others have, that schools can reopen safely under controlled community transmission and strong mitigation. ( @jacohe has done fantastic work here.)
I think most people agree on this. 2/n
I think most people agree on this. 2/n
But there are still a lot of uncertainties/disagreements. You might look at a model & say:
- I think mitigation is better in my school & we prevent all transmissions.
OR
- I think kids are as infectious as adults & don't trust mitigation to be consistently implemented. 3/n
- I think mitigation is better in my school & we prevent all transmissions.
OR
- I think kids are as infectious as adults & don't trust mitigation to be consistently implemented. 3/n
School safety can vary a lot across places & over time. Because COVID is often subclinical in children, it is hard to tell what is happening by looking at reported cases.
And new variants have thrown a curveball in European schools. 4/n https://www.ft.com/content/8121ca0a-4d96-4cf5-b5df-a73adc16a606
And new variants have thrown a curveball in European schools. 4/n https://www.ft.com/content/8121ca0a-4d96-4cf5-b5df-a73adc16a606
Here's where testing comes in -- understanding what's happening in *your* school is hard from community transmission or reported cases, but it's not a mystery of the universe.
We can & should make school decisions based on accurate knowledge of what is happening IN schools. 5/n
We can & should make school decisions based on accurate knowledge of what is happening IN schools. 5/n
And regularly screening asymptomatic folks also interrupts transmission so it's win-win.
TL;DR: If you want to reopen schools before vaccines for kids AND
- teachers/staff to feel safe working
- parents to send their kids https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-schools-reopening-plan/2021/01/24/e7c2ec0e-5cb1-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html
...implement testing. 6/n
TL;DR: If you want to reopen schools before vaccines for kids AND
- teachers/staff to feel safe working
- parents to send their kids https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-schools-reopening-plan/2021/01/24/e7c2ec0e-5cb1-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html
...implement testing. 6/n
Biden has called on Congress to provide funds for school testing. If we think school closures are harmful - & want the best chance for reopenings even w/new variants - we need to give schools access to the tools that worked for the NBA & universities. 7/n https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/25/us/biden-schools-reopen-coronavirus.html
Paper is here with code: https://github.com/abilinski/BackToSchool2/blob/master/5%20-%20Draft/Schools_draft.pdf. Major credit to John Giardina for implementing unit testing.
Please send questions or comments my way; pre-prints are just that and feedback is appreciated. 8/8
Please send questions or comments my way; pre-prints are just that and feedback is appreciated. 8/8
