As we all know, COVID-19 continues to spread unchecked across America. How serious is the situation? According to Your Local Epidemiologist, a reliable metric right now is hospitalizations, especially given the delays in reporting and testing after the holidays. Remember when Los Angeles faced a shortage of hospital beds in mid-December? Now, they’re running low on oxygen for patients battling COVID-19, with the county’s Emergency Medical Services advising crews against transporting patients with little chance of survival, as reported by a news outlet in Chicago. Emergency hospitals have been set up in church gyms, and with a potential surge from holiday gatherings looming, the crisis is escalating, with one hospital supervisor describing it as “a human disaster.” In short: reopening schools at this time is a grave mistake.
The issue isn’t confined to Southern California. The South is also grappling with COVID-19’s impact. Smaller counties in Florida, such as Seminole, report having no available ICU beds, according to local news. In South Carolina, The State indicates that numerous counties in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia have 95% of their ICU beds filled, particularly in areas near capital cities. States are consistently breaking records for hospitalizations, with news from Alabama highlighting overwhelmed hospitals that officials attribute to Thanksgiving gatherings—not yet factoring in the effects of Christmas.
We are witnessing the worst phase of COVID-19 thus far, making it clear that reopening schools is not an option.
Reopening Schools Risks Spreading the Virus
With the virus surging outside of schools, asymptomatic children will inevitably enter classrooms. They might contract the virus from family members or peers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that nearly half of pediatric COVID-19 cases remain asymptomatic. Consequently, a classroom full of seemingly healthy children could be harboring the virus and transmitting it to one another, as well as to teachers and staff.
These individuals then return home, potentially infecting more vulnerable groups, including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions like asthma. A study cited by the Harvard Gazette in The Journal of Pediatrics reveals that children, even those without symptoms, may carry a viral load higher than ICU patients. Furthermore, research from JAMA indicates that asymptomatic children can shed the virus for weeks. If we reopen schools, we risk empowering unknowing superspreaders among our youngest students.
Addressing the Challenges of Safe Reopening
In an ideal world, we could reopen schools, assuming universal masking, distancing, disinfection, and proper air circulation could be maintained. Yet, who would be willing to ensure that a room full of five-year-olds keeps their masks on? Let’s be honest! With the challenges of keeping them from touching their faces, staying six feet apart, and avoiding contact during various school activities (like on buses, during fire drills, or at lunchtime), it’s a daunting task. Many schools already face ventilation issues, and maintaining safe distancing in practical settings is virtually impossible, especially with the current surge in COVID-19 cases.
High School Challenges
High school students pose unique challenges. Epidemiologists have observed that teens may not report COVID-19 symptoms to avoid quarantine. A positive test could lead to contact tracing that disrupts their peers’ routines. Alarmingly, a study from South Korea shows that teens and tweens are more likely to transmit COVID-19 than younger children or adults. Reopening schools could lead to a public health crisis, as students might attend classes to avoid missing important events like sports games or AP tests, thereby risking further spread of the virus to at-risk populations.
For the Sake of Our Hospitals, Don’t Reopen Schools
The situation is dire, and it will likely worsen. We are still experiencing spikes from Thanksgiving gatherings, and surges from Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are on the horizon. Newsweek reported that the weekend before Christmas saw a higher volume of travelers than during Thanksgiving. With hospitals already at capacity, many states may soon face situations akin to Los Angeles, where paramedics may have to turn away patients and churches are repurposed as makeshift hospitals.
Reopening schools now would only contribute to this looming disaster. Yes, we are all fatigued from staying home. Nearly ten months after school closures began, we crave normalcy. But pretending that the situation is better is not the solution. We must prioritize self-isolation and resist the push to reopen schools, despite political pressures. This decision not only protects children and staff but also helps to curb the virus’s spread in our communities and alleviates the strain on our healthcare systems. Reopening schools amidst a surge of infections would merely worsen an already critical situation.
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Summary:
The current COVID-19 crisis makes reopening schools a dangerous proposition. With alarming hospitalization rates and evidence of asymptomatic children spreading the virus, the risks to both students and the community are too great. Practical challenges in maintaining safety protocols further complicate the situation. We must prioritize public health and resist the urge to return to normalcy prematurely.
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