SCHOOL CONFUSION
Many questions about return
After a report on how Ontario schools can reopen safely this fall was released on Monday, co-author Dr. Nisha Thampi, an infectious-disease specialist at CHEO, was politely correcting people who mischaracterized its advice.
Social media posts suggested the report published by the COVID -19 science advisory table had called for an end to masks and physical distancing at schools.
“Masking is important + effective,” Thampi posted in reply, noting wryly that she was impressed at how quickly the guidance on masks was “taken out of context and misinterpreted.”
The report said masks and physical distancing are among the temporary measures that should be employed at schools based on COVID-19 risk. When the risk is low they can be dropped.
The report emphasized the importance of students returning to in-person classes and extracurricular activities.
School closures, disruptions and pandemic restrictions have hurt children physically, emotionally and developmentally, the report said.
The report arrives as students and parents wait for the Ontario government to announce a school reopening plan.
The government has given school boards broad advice but has not filled in the details.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said his goal is also to return students to in-person learning and extracurricular activities this fall.
Many questions remain about which pandemic restrictions will remain in place. Will the government maintain its direction that high school students attend only two classes at a time? Will there be masks and physical distancing? Will children be allowed to sing or play wind instruments? Play close contact sports?
The opposition parties at Queen's Park, education unions and some parents have been pressing for a plan and have lots of advice on what it should include.
The NDP called Tuesday for an education campaign to get more youths over age 12 vaccinated; ventilation upgrades at schools; 14 paid sick and family care days so parents can keep sick kids home from school; smaller classes; and more mental health staff.
Here are some key points from the COVID -19 science table report.
When should students shift to online learning at home?: Ontario had the most school closures in Canada in 2020-21, the report noted.
It urged that “barring catastrophic circumstances, schools should remain open for in-person learning.”
The Ontario government has not provided a metric for what triggers school closures. However, students shifted to online learning at home twice last year, and both times officials blamed rising rates of infection in the community.
The report suggests using the rate of severe illness causing hospitalization and death as a key indicator of what pandemic measures are needed at schools.
By the time schools reopen it's expected that most adults and kids over age 12 will be vaccinated.
“Immunization is the single most effective preventive intervention, and its widespread uptake will dramatically reduce infection rates even among unvaccinated children,” said the report.
Schools can consider relaxing temporary restrictions such as masking, distancing and cohorting “when high vaccination rates are achieved and severe disease requiring hospitalization rates are low and stable,” the report said.
It also recommended that permanent safety measures be adopted at schools, including screening to keep people with symptoms away from school, hand hygiene, cleaning, improved indoor air quality and easy access to COVID -19 testing.
At a news conference Tuesday, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said he liked the “data driven” approach in the science report as well as the idea of taking into account regional differences.
At the same time, he suggested school reopening would be done cautiously in September to start so officials could monitor the situation.
When should kids wear masks at school?: The report said masks should not be required at school in regions that are at low risk of COVID-19.
Thampi clarified on social media that optional masking is “the looking-ahead scenario. Not the here-and-now scenario.”
“We recommend masking in elementary schools if there's more circulating virus in the community. Older kids follow public health guidance for indoors.”
The recommendation drew criticism from some, including University of Toronto epidemiologist David Fisman.
There is clear evidence on the benefit of masks in reducing COVID-19 risk, Fisman posted.
On Monday the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all children over age two wear masks when they return to school, Fisman noted.
We recommend masking in elementary schools if there's more circulating virus in the community.
What type of testing should children receive?: The report said non-invasive and accessible labbased PCR testing is important. It recommended methods like saliva or cheek and tip-of-nose swabs that are less uncomfortable than the deep-nasal swab, and measures such as take-home test kits, which are already in use in Ottawa and Toronto.
The report recommended against the routine use of universal rapid testing of asymptomatic students and staff, especially when the risk of COVID-19 is low to moderate.