When the CDC issued its latest set of pandemic guidelines, many were disappointed, to say the least. The revised rules have been particularly desirable when it comes to reopening schools, leaving far too much room for teachers’ unions to keep them closed for a long time in the future or to conduct virtual learning instead of returning to classrooms. Probably what Dr. Fauci and the CDC leaders did not count on was challenged on the basis of the science they are supposed to rely on to guide them. Nor does the challenge in question come from any armchair defender. Dr. Tara O. Henderson, Dr. Monica Gandhi, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, and Dr. Daniel Johnson are four physicians who conducted one of the major pandemic studies in Wisconsin, and their work was cited by the CDC. They have now published an editorial criticizing the health agency for “misinterpreting” the data and calling for the reopening of all schools for in-person courses. (USA Today)
The recent guidance on reopening the school published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an example of influential fears that lead to misinterpretation of science and harmful policy. In the US, 50% of schools are closed and more only partially open. President Biden took part in a campaign indicating that science and data will guide his policy. As we approach the anniversary of the first COVID shutdown, this approach is needed more than ever, especially when it comes to schools.
As in so many states, schools in California and Illinois are blocked by CDC guidance. The guidelines do not take into account the data we have on the low transmission of diseases in schools. Also, although the guide cites work done in the Wisconsin districts by our group and published in the MMWR, it does not take into account these data and the new analyzes in that data set. Keeping schools closed or even partially closed, based on what we know now, is unjustified, harms children and has become a human rights issue.
Oh my! He had to sting a little.
Doctors continue from there to hit the CDC with a number of facts that have now been clearly established. They first note that children are least likely to suffer from poor results due to COVID. As of March 3, 286 children have died from COVID, compared to more than half a million adults. It is the same as the number of children who die each year from pneumonia. And right now, we’re losing more children to suicide than we are to the new coronavirus.
They further point out that school enrollment rates are shockingly low. They cite a Wisconsin community in which the test positivity rate reached more than 40%. But of the nearly 5,000 students and 654 staff members involved in classroom education with minimal caution, only seven students tested positive during the study. And zero teachers contracted the disease. He goes on to say that no data support the need for social distancing in schools, a requirement that blocks almost all schools from fully reopening. Doctors provide data showing that the three-legged separation is fine.
After accumulating more data from several studies, doctors proclaim that “we must act for children.” At the very least, a large number of them receive either inadequate educational assistance or, in some cases, no education at all. But beyond falling behind in their studies, school closures have a mental and emotional impact on children. As mentioned above, suicide rates among children are rising at an alarming rate, largely due to a lack of social interaction.
The reason politicians and their CDC servants are too shy about the requirements to reopen schools is because they are afraid and viewed by teachers’ unions. And unions don’t want to go back to class until a list of demands is met that includes things that aren’t needed based on that data. Joe Biden and Democrats say it is the “science party” that will “follow” the data when developing a pandemic response. Good? Here is the data, directly from the researchers.
It is time to fully reopen schools. Any other failures or delays will result in more damage and will fall entirely on the shoulders of our chosen ones, not our doctors.