Many schools are grappling with the decision to bring students back in person or to continue with remote and/or blended learning plans. Pediatrician, Dr. Danielle Dooley, a medical director at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., told NPR that she is concerned with the negative impacts she is seeing on children due to school closures. She included, “mental health problems, hunger, obesity due to inactivity, missing routine medical care and the risk of child abuse — on top of the loss of education”.
The research conducted in two international studies shows no consistent relationship between in-person K-12 schooling and the spread of coronavirus. An additional study in the United States shows that childcare workers who stay on the job did not present elevated risks for the coronavirus.
Enjoy this recent NPR article with additional information embedded within to guide decisions being made about the reopening of schools as well as safety precautions that all schools should be implementing.
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/925794511/were-the-risks-of-reopening-schools-exaggerated