This is a move that comes as school districts attempt to avoid the worst effects of the omicron variant.
This strategy also includes a “test-to-stay” approach. Instead of mandatory quarantines being imposed on unvaccinated students who are close to a Covid positive peer, these students could be allowed to remain at school if they test negative for Covid during the week following an exposure.
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Friday’s report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also highlights school districts that have successfully used the “test-to-stay” approach.
As the omicron variant is gaining ground in the U.S., the Biden administration seeks to prevent major disruptions in school and hospital settings. It is expected that the holiday season will bring about significant disruptions. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, schools are especially vulnerable. Only 18% of children aged 5-11 have received at least one shot and 61% of those 12-17 have had at least one shot.
Based on data from 90 schools in Lake County (Illinois), one of the new CDC reports estimated that a “test-to-stay” approach could have prevented more than 8,000 school days from being missed. Los Angeles County’s other report found that schools who declined to follow test to stay policies lost approximately 92,000 school days.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated that the studies prove that “test-to-stay” works to keep unvaccinated kids in school safely during a briefing by the White House Covid taskforce.
She also said that other preventative measures were crucial to the success of the program. In both studies, masks had to be worn correctly and consistently. Contacts of positive cases were closely monitored for signs and kept home if they fell ill.
As Covid positivity rates rise again, some schools are closing again.
Biden’s administration will encourage teachers to receive Covid booster shots at school-based vaccination clinics. This partnership will include teachers’ unions. They are using paid ads and town halls for school personnel.
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Teachers, parents, and public health officials have all noticed how the pandemic affected children academically, socially and emotionally.
In an effort to stop the spread of Covid in schools, schools moved to remote learning in 2020. Children began to fall behind in their classes. Many children who were left alone at home and without their peers reported an increase in stress.
“It is clear that in-school learning is the best place for children, and if it’s safe for a child who has been exposed to Covid then we need that to happen,” stated Dr. Richard Besser of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting CDC director.
The White House strategy would also include proven methods to reduce viral spread such as hand-washing, masks, and physical distance of at least three feet between students.
More than 7.1 million Covid-19 cases among children were reported as of December 9, 2009.
CORRECTION (17/12/16 p.m.) ET: An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the CDC study conducted in Lake County, Illinois. It’s based on data from 90 schools and not 90 students.
