Monday, June 29, 2020

Pediatricians: Open the Schools

The American Academy of Pediatricians said children should return to school this fall.  The Academy published new guidance yesterday on school re-openings.  It said the Covid-19 virus behaves differently in children and are less likely to spread infection.  The Academy stated on its website:

the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of inperson learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families....

 Policy makers must also consider the mounting evidence regarding COVID-19 in children and adolescents, including the role they may play in transmission of the infection. SARS-CoV-2 appears to behave differently in children and adolescents than other common respiratory viruses, such as influenza, on which much of the current guidance regarding school closures is based. Although children and adolescents play a major role in amplifying influenza outbreaks, to date, this does not appear to be the case with SARS-CoV-2. Although many questions remain, the preponderance of evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, children may be less likely to become infected and to spread infection. Policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within schools must be balanced with the known harms to children, adolescents, families, and the community by keeping children at home.

 In many school settings, 6 feet between students is not feasible without limiting the number of students. Evidence suggests that spacing as close as 3 feet may approach the benefits of 6 feet of space, particularly if students are wearing face coverings and are asymptomatic. Schools should weigh the benefits of strict adherence to a 6-feet spacing rule between students with the potential downside if remote learning is the only alternative. Strict adherence to a specific size of student groups (eg, 10 per classroom, 15 per classroom, etc) should be discouraged in favor of other risk mitigation strategies. Given what is known about transmission dynamics, adults and adult staff within schools should attempt to maintain a distance of 6 feet from other persons as much as possible, particularly around other adult staff....

The Academy published additional guidelines on its website.  School guidelines.

Such guidance follows what infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm recommended a few months ago. Earlier post.

JJ reported on June 5:

 Perhaps it's time to look at the actual facts where Covid-19 and children are concerned.  A debate rages whether to reopen the schools.  Believe it or not, children brush off the virus. No children have died of Covid-19 in Mississippi. Other state report similar results.   There have been only 967 cases of children under the age of 18, a staggering 6% of all cases in Mississippi.  Only 27 children have been hospitalized,  l% of all Covid-19 hospitalizations. 

The June 28 report stated only 28 children have been hospitalized and no children have died because of the virus in Mississippi. 

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget that it's not only students who will be at risk if schools go back to normal in the fall. Teachers, many of whom have risk factors or live with those who do, will be at increased risk of serious illness, as will the families of students. Just because the virus hits children more lightly doesn't mean they are not asymptomatic carriers who will put many more people at risk. And anyone who has ever been around elementary and junior high students knows they are walking germ factories who do not part attention to basic hygiene in the best of times, much less in the middle of a pandemic. All of this must be considered when deciding on whether to return to in-person classes, not just the chance that the children will become seriously ill.

Anonymous said...

I doubt there's anybody who does not think in-person learning is a worthy objective. Why do they feel a need to use that obvious fact as a springboard for their thesis?

Anonymous said...

I can tell you this much... as a physician we aren't getting heard by media. Maybe locally at best in small segments. I believe to open the schools is a must. Children are virtually at 0 risk on health complications and little chance of spreading the virus giving the small viral load. The wave we see now are largely younger demographics and low risk groups. I'm on next door fondren and I'm reminded daily how little general population actually knows about medicine. Yet claiming science! People the reality is this. Wash hands never touch your eyes until you washed hands. This is the best way to reduce risk.

Anonymous said...

Amazing that this is just the first "official" call for this. We've known that children are not at risk for months.

FACT- children are more at risk of dying from the flu than COVID-19.

Open the damn schools.

Anonymous said...

It sounds like they are also advocating the children wear face masks all day. Better start making trillions of those suckers.

Anonymous said...

@ 1:31
Donna Ladd is that You?
Your a complete idiot. It's more than obvious you have little knowledge on respiratory virus and the spreading of such. The point of the lockdown were only to not swell the hospitals... there is no other reason to lockdown. It was never intended to stop the spread of virus. Only to not swell hospitals. Remember that. It was never intended to be a preventitatve.

Anonymous said...

QAnon warned us about the elites trafficking our children. They now have more ability to take our children under the guise of Covid-19 prevention. Don't let them tske your children.
Beware.

#WWG1WGA

Anonymous said...

If only kids could teach themselves.

Friends... the AAP is concerned with the risk to kids. Not with the adults who teach, feed, and bus them.

Anonymous said...

@711-who cares if the teachers get sick and die or if kiddies take covid home to gramma

Anonymous said...

The elites are starving for adrenachrome and child plasma. They haven't had access to healthy children in months. Yes of course they want your little ones back in their brainwash centers.

Disposable Paddles said...

Do school children include those over the age of 18 in our high schools?

Do these pediatricians advocate staffing the cafeterias and offices with 6-13 year olds?

Since children no longer have to take a driving test to be licensed, will fifteen year olds be driving the buses?

Will teachers be standing in plastic boxes?

Anonymous said...

How many parents want to take that chance. Let’s be honest. We’re looking at the distant leading

Anonymous said...

how many students today are raised by grandma? little jimmy or susie may be fine but betty might get it from them.

how easy is it to stream a classroom via zoom? not.

choice. freedom. have both options.

kids can walk or be driven to school and yes they can bring their own meals.

Anonymous said...

The "elites" want your child's plasma? Their going to traffic your children? Sweet jesus.

Kingfish said...

What? Do not mock the Q. It is not wise to mock him.

Anonymous said...

Will buses be running all day long with augmented school schedules? Heard one driver in Canton saying 1 kid per every other seat. That will make for buses being on the road the entire day, which could raise the wreck numbers, and will require extended school days so the kids get equal time in school. I say load the little ones on and go for it.

Anonymous said...

Schools should be able to open to in-person learning in the fall as long as adequate measures are taken to control any disease spread. No, it won't be perfect, but that also isn't an excuse to do nothing.

Keep the kids in one classroom and let the teachers switch position if needed. Ensure teachers are able to maintain distance from the students. Bring lunch to the kids in the classroom instead of herding them into the cafeteria. Students should wear a mask during the day. Postpone extracurricular activities and competitive sports for at least the first semester. Not much we can do about kids on the buses.

The priority has to be about learning and ensuring the kids don't fall behind intellectually.

Anonymous said...

"The children should wear masks." This is ridiculous. It will not happen if mandated. The schools should open and function normally.

The burden will be on schools to protect the vulnerable. And that means older teachers and administrators as well as accommodation for students who live with their grandparents. And the schools have had months now to plan on that so let's see what they are planning.

Anonymous said...

8:48 - Wake up Rumplestiltskin....none of that is reality.

Gramma lives in the guest house. Stream a class to the outskirts of West Flora and highway 16 east where people might not even have running water? Kids walk to school? You gotta be shittin' us.

Anonymous said...

The bus issue is one that has me worried. Under ideal circumstances it is almost impossible to maintain control on the busses. All bus riders wearing masks and maintaining social distancing? Yea, sure! Most busses make multiple runs daily, carrying kids from pre-K to 12th graders. Are busses going to be disinfected between each run? Will there be "monitors" on every bus to make sure the rules are followed? I doubt it. How about the bus drivers themselves? Many of them are older or retired people working hard to supplement their income. The last thing they need is to be exposed to Cover-19.

Anonymous said...

Go back to school. Teachers should wear mask. Have loads and loads of hand sanitizer. Keep soap in the bathrooms. Encourage students to wash hands. It’s going to get bad and more people are going to die. Shutting down schools is not answer.

Anonymous said...

11:31 -- You say teachers should wear a mask. Remember that wearing a mask protects not the wearer but others. A teacher wearing a mask when the students are not does nothing to protect the teacher.

Anonymous said...

Let's just have Covid Parties like one writer spoke of. Get the infected and antibody counts up. Largely a survivable illness and I have more concern about other things out there. By the way. what if someone tests positive but has been asymptomatic. You'd have no way of knowing when he/she became infected wouldn't you.

Anonymous said...

12:05 Nothing is stopping you and your friends. Find an active Covid patient and sit with them for a while.

Anonymous said...

1:51, completely agree. Those who think we should build herd immunity can start by infecting themselves and their own families. Put up or shut up.

Anonymous said...

What do they know about medical care from children! I have a Medical Degree from Facebook university backed by elected scientist! Those children need to be wearing mask and maintain social distancing and we're not even sure if it's safe for them to go back to school!

Anonymous said...

Cancel all school and SPORTS of any kind. Mandate a parent stay home to watch and make sure kiddies do their on line work paying them as required and making sure their jobs are held until the sun comes back out. Also make sure every family with said kid has internet/WiFi connections. Sounds doable to me. Will make our closet people happy as well.

Anonymous said...

"Strict adherence to a specific size of student groups (eg, 10 per classroom, 15 per classroom, etc) should be discouraged in favor of other risk mitigation strategies."

We certainly don't want such low teacher to student ratios - our children might actually learn something with such dedicated instruction.

Anonymous said...

10 or 15 per classroom? There are not enough double-wides for sale in Yazoo City to even supply one school district.

Anonymous said...

Pediatricians need kids in school. When the kids stay at home the pediatricians aren't needed and income suffers.

Anonymous said...

There is a risk to children, but it is lower than the risk for all adult populations. School administrators should be able to work with public health officials to develop an acceptable plan to resume in-class instruction, even if some instruction is remote. There is no perfect answer, but we need to educate our children and free up their parents to work.

Anonymous said...

Can you imagine being a student, attempting to understand a teacher who is wearing a mask? Or a teacher attempting to understand students who are asking questions?


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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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