But the new guidelines released Thursday recommend that local officials consider closing or keeping schools closed if there is substantial and uncontrolled transmission of the virus.
The CDC has been promising new guidelines for more than a week, following President Donald Trump’s demands that the agency alter its recommendations to open schools.
“It is vitally important to our public health to open schools this fall,” CDC Principal Dr. Robert Redfield said in a statement announcing the updates.
“School closings have disrupted the normal lifestyles of children and parents, and have had negative consequences for the health of our youth. CDC is prepared to work with K-12 schools to safely reopen and protect to the most vulnerable. “
They begin with an unsigned statement about “the importance of reopening America’s schools this fall.”
“The best available evidence indicates that COVID-19 presents relatively low risks for school-age children,” the statement read.
“Children appear to have a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to adults. To put this in perspective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July 17, 2020, the United States reported that children and adolescents under the age of 18 account for less than 7 percent of COVID-19 cases and less than 0.1 percent of COVID-19-related deaths, “he adds.
“Scientific studies suggest that COVID-19 transmission among children in schools may be low. International studies that have evaluated how easily COVID-19 spreads in schools also reveal low transmission rates when community transmission is low”.
He notes that there are few reports that children are the driving force for transmission within families. “This is consistent with data from virus and antibody tests, suggesting that children are not the primary drivers of the spread of COVID-19 in schools or in the community,” the statement said.
“No study is conclusive, but the available evidence provides reason to believe that in-person schooling is in the best interest of students, particularly in the context of appropriate mitigation measures similar to those implemented in essential workplaces.”
The statement says that the prolonged closure of schools hurts children. “It can lead to severe loss of learning, and the need for in-person instruction is particularly important for students with increased behavioral needs,” the statement read.
The new guide notes that children often receive food, mental health care, speech and language therapy, and other services at school.
Another guidance takes into account the risk of transmission in schools and from schools. Many medical experts have said that it is not safe to open schools while the coronavirus is spreading in a community. The guidelines take note of these arguments.
“If there is substantial and uncontrolled transmission, schools should work closely with local health officials to make decisions about whether to maintain school operations,” they read. “The health, safety, and welfare of students, teachers, staff, and their families is the most important consideration in determining whether school closure is a necessary step,” the guide added.
“Communities can support schools that remain open by implementing strategies that decrease the level of community transmission. However, if community transmission levels cannot be decreased, school closure is an important consideration. Plans for virtual learning should be in place in the event of school closure. “
The guidelines suggest that school administrators consider keeping children in groups or groups to reduce the risk of spread. They also encourage the use of social distancing, hand hygiene, face masks, and other measures to control the spread, and incorporate these measures into school curricula.
“There is mixed evidence on whether returning to school results in increased transmission or outbreaks,” said guidelines and benchmark studies conducted in other countries that have taken various approaches to reopening schools.
“It is important to consider the risk of community transmission as schools reopen. Evidence from schools internationally suggests that school reopens are safe in communities with low SARS-CoV transmission rates- two”.
The guidelines recommend not testing all students for coronaviruses. “The CDC does not currently recommend that schools perform universal symptom screening tests (screening all students in grades K-12),” the guidelines read. “Parents or caregivers should be strongly encouraged to monitor their children for signs of infectious disease every day,” they add. “Students who are ill should not attend school in person.”
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