(CNN) - Five full days a week, every week: after more than a year of remote learning, hybrid schedules and lost experiences, return to school, the "normal" school, is all that many parents andstudents want.But with the increase in cases of COVID-19 again in some US states. And concerns about the new variants of the increasing virus, the exact aspect of the classrooms in the boreal autumn is yet to be defined.
The Centers for the control and prevention of diseases of the United States issued a new guide last week about the importance of having all open schools for full -time instruction in autumn in the country.
To keep the schools open safely, CDC recommended what they call "a layer mitigation strategy" against COVID-19.This is a systematic strategy that involves multiple interventions to reduce the risk, such as including the use of interior masks for undesidered students and teachers.
But what happens if schools reopen but do not enforce these procedures?For example, what should parents do if schools do not require masks?Should children over 12 years old feel comfortable taking off the masks in schools?And when could vaccines be available for younger children?
We asked Dr. Leana Wen, a medical analyst at CNN, what he thought.Wen is an emergency doctor and a visiting professor of health policy and management at the Public Health School of the Milken Institute of George Washington University.She is also the author of a book that will be published at the end of this month, "Lifelines: to Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health."
CNN: With the most contagious delta variant in circulation, are these guidelines for sufficient CDCs to keep students, teachers, personal and their families safe?
Dr. Leana Wen: Yes. At this point, we have many data that schools can be very safe from the point of view of the Covid-19 transmission if mitigation measures are followed.The CDCs have been very reflective in their guidelines, which cite numerous scientific articles to explain their strategic approach.
Specifically, CDCs say that carrying out masks in indoor is important for unaccoured people.That is because not vaccinated people still have a high risk of contracting and transmitting the coronavirus.The vaccine protects people very well, so, according to the rest of the guide for vaccinated people, CDCs say that vaccinated people do not need to wear indoor masks.Recommend weekly tests for students and non -vaccinated staff, which could be more frequent for people involved in certain extracurricular activities of greater risk.And there are also other mitigation measures, such as an investment to improve ventilation using federal covid aid funds and keep students at home when they have any possible Covid-19 symptoms.All these measures added will substantially reduce the risk of transmission in the Covid-19 schools.
CNN: But what about not being able to have a physical distance of about 2 meters?CDC say this is no longer necessary.
Wen: For many schools, it would not be possible to have all children back full time and still maintain a distance of 2 meters.That is why CDCs say you should try to maintain a distance of 90 centimeters and use other mitigation measures to compensate for the difference if necessary.
This is where layer mitigation strategy is so important.Think about it how to use layers.If it is not very cold outside, having one or two layers of protection is enough.And if it is very cold, you need several layers.If you eliminate a layer, you can replace it with another different type of layer, and still works.
Physical distancing is a powerful protection layer.If not possible, you can replace it with other layers.In this case, even if there is no distancing but there is vaccination, masking and regular tests, that would protect against the transmission of the coronavirus.The objective is to reduce the community rates of COVID-19 as much as possible.In low -transmission areas, it is no longer necessary to use all these layers, just as I would not need to wear many layers of clothing after the weather is heated.
CNN: When can children stop using masks in schools?
Wen: Once again, I would think about this using the weather analogy and layers.If the vaccination rate in a community is very high and the coronavirus level is very low, it is conceivable that it is no longer necessary to apply interior masking.However, we are not yet there as a country, and that is why CDCs say that indoor masks are required for unaccoured people.
CNN: What do the most recent data on infection rates in children and the severity of their symptoms tell us?
Wen: During the pandemic, more than 4 million children have been diagnosed with COVID-19.As more adults are vaccinated, children constitute a greater proportion of those that are infected.To July 8, children represent more than 1 in 5 new infections.
The Delta variant is the most contagious variant we have seen, which can mean that unbalanced children are more likely to transmit and infect with this variant than before.It is not clear that children get sick more, and we must bear in mind that, in general, children with Covid-19 infections tend to get much less ill than adults.However, children can have long-term Covid-19 consequences that last months or even years.
CNN: There are at least five states that do not allow schools to implement masks against COVID-19.What should parents do if their schools do not require masks against COVID-19?
Wen: This is complicated.First I would ask school administrators to see how many children and staff are probable that they still wear masks.If almost everyone uses a mask anyway, even if it is not necessary, it would be fine.
On the other hand, if few more are going to wear masks, you should consider if your child could still do it.If they can still protect them, but it is possible that the pressure of the companions is such that the mask is not maintained.In that case, you should ask what other mitigation measures exist.Yes, let's say, schools have improved ventilation and also implement tests once or, ideally, twice a week for unaccoured students, I would feel better (in this sense, the tests replace the mask).
CNN: What is the risk for children under 12 if the teachers are not vaccinated and do not use masks?
Wen: That is not supposed to happen, but I think this question is addressing the problem that CDC offers no orientation on how to verify the vaccination status.For many schools, it will probably be a code of honor, and if the teachers do not use masks, there is no way of knowing if it is because they are vaccinated and follow the guide, or if they are not vaccinated and challenge the guide.
Whenever mitigation layers are eliminated, they must be replaced by other layers.If there are teachers without masks and not vaccinated, this adds a risk.The risk can be reduced if that teacher is evaluated regularly and is maintained at a good distance from the students.But the ideal is that this situation does not happen first.
CNN: What happens if vaccinated teachers contract serious infections?Can they represent a risk for unaccoured children?
Wen: Actually, this worries me much less.The vaccine protects very well against COVID-19 and its spread.It is still theoretically possible that a vaccinated person can be sick and disseminate enough viruses to infect others, but my concern is much more about non -vaccinated people who transmit the coronavirus with each other.
CNN: What happens to children in middle and secondary school, where some children are vaccinated and others do not?If my son is vaccinated, is it okay to remove the mask in school or in extracurricular activities?
Wen: You must follow the regulations and norms of your school.It is possible that some schools still require masks, because they do not ask for COVID-19 vaccination test.Others may have vaccination rates so high that all children in a classroom are vaccinated.In that case, it is definitely safe for your vaccinated child to go without a mask.However, if your child is not vaccinated, he must use a mask in the interior spaces.
I will definitely make sure what my son does after school.It would be a shame to follow the strict COVID-19 protocols during school, only to participate in high-risk activities outside the classroom that add an unnecessary risk to their son and family.The general rule is that if your vaccinated child is close to other vaccinated children, there is an extremely low risk and can interact with each other without masks, distancing or other coronavirus restrictions.The risk increases a little every time there are people not vaccinated in the group.And if your child is not vaccinated, she really shouldn't be inside with other unaccoured people without masks.
CNN: Can children under 12 years before the school year be vaccinated?
Wen: That is unlikely.Even if a vaccine was authorized at this time for younger children, it would take several weeks to complete the inoculations of two doses.And it would be necessary to wait two more weeks to consider that children are completely vaccinated.
It is estimated that vaccines for younger children may be available at the end of this autumn in the US, and primary school children are likely to be first eligible, followed by young children and babies.For now, before a vaccine is available, non -vaccinated younger children should wear masks when they are in closed and overwhelmed environments around others in their classmates.
The objective of CDC guidelines is to emphasize that it is really crucial for our children to return to school in person.Our children have lost a lot during pandemia.It is our obligation to make our part and implement the protocols for control of infections necessary so that they can learn, safely, in autumn in the northern hemisphere.
