Epidemiological studies indicate that children aged 10 years and younger have significantly lower transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 compared to older adolescents and adults, supporting safer reopening policies for primary schools (Edmunds, 2020).

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In an urgent attempt to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, K-12 schools across the U.S. have swiftly shut down and remained closed for approximately 2 months. As many countries have entered or are planning to enter a gradual reopening phase, clinical studies have found that children mainly have low transmission rates as well as asymptomatic to mild disease. As such, policymakers, healthcare systems, and educational institutions are considering reopening schools for fall 2020.



UPDATE: As of September 1, 2020, New York City schools are reopening September 16th with the first week being remote then after that there will be cohorts. Students get to choose if they want to be fully remote or in-person (hybrid). Students can go to remote learning anytime they choose if they do not feel comfortable being in the classroom once they are in. But, they are unable to go back into the classrooms once they are out. 

Re-opening Schools for Fall 2020 During COVID-19 Pandemic

- Improves children's mental health

- Reduces economic disparity

- In-person education is more effective than e-learning

Benefits to Re-opening Schools During Fall 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

- Create the conditions for a successful reopening

- Social distancing through reallocation of spaces

- Division of classes into smaller groups of children

- Promotion of frequent and proper hand washing

- Ventilation of rooms

- Maximization of time spent outdoors

- Avoidance of shared materials

- Sanitation of spaces, furniture and toys

- Prompt identification of cases in the school environment and their tracing

- Large-scale viral nucleic acid and serologic testing

- Maintenance of safe physical education classes, structured recess, and after-school activities (such as safe athletics) 

- Listening to the concerns of families and teachers 

- Adapted curricula and teaching strategies to accommodate hybrids of in-person and remote learning

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, the School Health Index model, and The American Academy of Pediatrics' considerations for re-opening may provide additional insight.

Safety Measures for Re-opening Schools

- Past school closures and their impacts 
- Downsides of school closures 
- Important aspects to consider in closing or reopening schools during a pandemic

Important takeaways of school closures from past influenza pandemics 

- How best to care for children with respiratory disease and multi-system inflammatory syndrome from COVID-19,
- The extent of transmission in school settings, 
- The relationship between school shutdowns on community spread, 
- The value of specific educational designs and interventions for disease transmission and learning. 
- Effects of remote learning programs
- Whether antibody levels are associated with immunity from further infection
- Return of children with chronic conditions
- Effects of school closure on children with special needs

Critical Questions for Reopening Schools

- Australia

- Denmark

- Japan

- England

- Israel

- Hong Kong  

- Mainland China

- Taiwan

- UK

Outcomes of School Closures & Subsequent Re-opening/ Maintaining Open Schools by Country

Due to the novelty of COVID-19, many researchers have applied influenza pandemic preparedness plans of school closures to SARS-CoV-2 transmission prevention. In this study, the authors evaluate the impact of the COVID-19-related school closures on influenza A infection in Qatar. The study assesses the presence of respiratory viruses from nasopharyngeal swabs collected from Sidra Medicine, the main pediatric referral center in Qatar, before and after the first school closure on March 10.

Dramatic decrease of laboratory‐confirmed influenza A after school closure in response to COVID‐19

COVID-19 Transmission Rates in Children Aged 10 Years and Younger

Clinical studies and model-based estimates show higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 19 years old compared to younger children, presenting increased risks when reopening high schools and colleges (Edmunds, 2020).

COVID-19 Transmission Rates in Students Aged 14–19 Years

Epidemiological research shows that younger children (10 years and younger) have lower COVID-19 transmission rates. Conversely, a higher transmission rate is observed among adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 19 years old, which has significant implications when considering the reopening of high schools, colleges, and universities (Edmunds, 2020).

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