When the CDC released its latest set of pandemic guidelines, many were disappointed to say the least. The revised rules were particularly lax when it came to reopening the schools, leaving far too much leeway for the teachers’ unions to keep them closed well into the future, or to learn virtually instead of going back to school. classrooms. Where Dr. Fauci and the leaders of the CDC probably hadn’t counted on was challenged based on the science they supposedly relied on to guide them. And the challenge in question doesn’t come from armchair quarterbacks either. Dr. Tara O. Henderson, Dr. Monica Gandhi, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg and Dr. Daniel Johnson are four of the doctors who conducted one of the major investigations into the Wisconsin pandemic, and it was their work that was cited by the CDC. Now they have published an editorial criticizing the health agency for ‘misinterpreting’ the data and calling for all schools to reopen for in-person classes. (USA Today)
The recent school reopening guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an example of influencing fears and resulting in the misinterpretation of science and harmful policies. In the US, 50% of schools are closed and more are only partially open. President Biden ran a campaign in which he indicated that science and data would guide his policies. As we approach the anniversary of the first COVID shutdown, this approach is more necessary than ever, especially when it comes to schools.
As in so many states, schools in California and Illinois are paralyzed by the CDC guidelines. The guidance does not take into account the data we have on the low transmission of diseases in schools. While the guidance cites the work done in Wisconsin counties by our group and published in the MMWR, it does not take into account that data and new analysis from that dataset either. Keeping schools closed or even partially closed, based on what we now know, is not justified, harms children and has become a human rights issue.
Au! That had to sting a bit.
The doctors move on from there to hit the CDC with a barrage of facts that are now clearly established. They first note that children are least likely to have bad results from COVID. On March 3, 286 children died of COVID, compared to more than half a million adults. This is comparable to the number of children who die of pneumonia every year. And at this point, we are losing more children to suicide than to the new coronavirus.
Then they point out that transmission speeds in schools are alarmingly slow. They name a community in Wisconsin where the test positivity rate was over 40%. But of the nearly 5,000 students and 654 staff who participated in classroom education with only minimal precautions, only seven students tested positive during the course of the study. And zero teachers contracted the disease. They go on to say there is no data to support the need for six feet of social distance in schools, a requirement blocking nearly all schools from fully reopening. The doctors provide data showing that a separation of 1 meter is fine.
After collecting more data from multiple studies, the doctors declare that “we must act for the children.” At the very least, large numbers of them either receive insufficient educational help, or in some cases no help at all. But aside from a study delay, the closure of the school takes a mental and emotional toll on children. As noted above, suicide rates among children are rising at an alarming rate, largely driven by a lack of social interaction.
The reason the politicians and their attendants at the CDC are too shy about the requirements to reopen the schools is that they fear and are obligated to the teachers’ unions. And the unions don’t want to return to class until a list of requirements has been met that includes things that are not required based on this data. Joe Biden and the Democrats claim to be the “party of science” that will “follow” the data in crafting a response to the pandemic. Good? Here is the data, straight from the researchers’ mouths.
It is time to completely reopen the schools. Any further failure or delay will result in more damage and that will fall entirely on the shoulders of our elected officials, not our doctors.