When the CDC released its latest set of pandemic guidelines, many were disappointed, to put it mildly. The revised rules were particularly clumsy on the issue of reopening schools, leaving too much room for maneuver for teacher unions to keep them closed too far into the future, or running e-learning instead of going back to the classrooms. What Dr. Fauci and CDC leaders probably didn’t have was the science-based challenge they were supposed to rely on to guide them. And the challenge in question doesn’t come from any armchair quarterback 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 most important pandemic studies in Wisconsin. . They have now published an editorial criticizing the health agency for “misinterpreting” the data and calling for the reopening of all schools for face-to-face classes. (USA Today)
The school’s recent reopening guide published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an example of fears that influence and result in a misinterpretation of science and harmful policy. In the United States, 50% of schools are closed and more partially open. President Biden participated in a campaign indicating that science and data would guide his policy. As we approach the anniversary of the first closure of COVID, this approach is needed more than ever, especially when it comes to schools.
Like so many states, schools in California and Illinois are being obstructed by CDC guidelines. The guide does not take into account the data we have on the transmission of diseases to schools. Nor, although the guide cites the work done by our group in the districts of Wisconsin and published in the MMWR, does not take into account this data and new analyzes of this dataset. Keeping schools closed or even partially closed, based on what we know now that is not justified, harms children and has become a human rights issue.
Ai! That had to sting a bit.
Doctors are going from there to hit CDC with a barrage of facts that have now been clearly established. They first point out that children are the least likely to suffer from poor COVID results. As of March 3, 286 children have died from COVID compared to more than half a million adults. This is equal to the number of children who die of pneumonia each year. And right now, we’re losing more kids because of suicide than with the new coronavirus.
They then point out that transmission rates in schools are surprisingly low. They cite a Wisconsin community where the test positivity rate reached over 40%. But among the nearly 5,000 students and the 654 staff members involved in classroom education with minimal precautions, only seven students tested positive throughout the study. And zero teachers contracted the disease. They go on to say that no data supports the need to distance themselves socially from schools, a requirement that prevents the full reopening of almost all schools. Doctors provide data showing that the three feet apart are fine.
After stacking more data from multiple studies, doctors proclaim that “we need to act for children.” At the very least, a large number of them receive inadequate educational assistance or, in some cases, none. But beyond being left behind in their studies, school closures are mentally and emotionally affecting children. As noted earlier, suicide rates among children are growing at an alarming rate, mainly driven by a lack of social interaction.
The reason politicians and their CDC servants are too shy about the requirements to reopen schools is that they fear and respect them in 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 necessary based on that data. Joe Biden and Democrats claim to be the “science party” that will “follow” the data when crafting a pandemic response. Okay? Here is the data, directly from the mouths of researchers.
It’s time to completely reopen schools. Any additional failure or delay will result in more damage that will fall entirely on the shoulders of our elected officials, not our doctors.