Trust scientists to get kids back in school
COVID-19 has upended the return to school this fall. In some communities, schools opened for in-person learning only to be forced to close due to an outbreak. We’ve seen the virus surge in other communities, causing schools there to abandon previously planned openings, leaving educators, parents and students scrambling to adjust. This unpredictable and patchwork approach will continue until we get the virus under control.
Science — while continuing to evolve — offers our best hope to being able to safely educate our children in person. We know what works to help reduce community spread: we all need to wear masks, take social distancing seriously and listen to the public health experts. Following their advice will help to get our children back to school.
Decisions to alter school schedules, such as partial days or alternate attendance days, or to temporarily close schools, must be made in collaboration with local and state officials according to the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community. The goal should be to have students physically present in school when, and as long as, safety measures for students and staff can be met.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to decision-making. Working closely with local public health experts to determine the best and safest ways to reopen will be key. The road map put forth by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County’s Public Health Department offers one pragmatic approach.
It is unusual for the world to be watching so closely as the scientific process plays out. The changing state of the evidence around the importance of wearing a mask to limit the spread of the virus is just one of many examples of the process at work. For some, changes in health recommendations that follow access to new information have undermined confidence in scientific expertise. However, changes in expert opinion are not a signal that someone was wrong, but rather that our understanding of the situation has advanced. Indeed, it is science’s embrace of uncertainty and willingness to seek answers to difficult questions that has reduced infant mortality, prevented deadly diseases with vaccines, vastly increased survival in children with cancer and improved quality of life for all Americans. The scientific process will guide us through this terrible pandemic as well.
Fortunately for Americans, we have a group of experts across all levels of government and in academic institutions nationwide who are working tirelessly to keep us safe from COVID-19, perhaps none more visible and respected than Dr. Anthony Fauci. These dedicated public servants and academics work tirelessly to advance the public health, quietly protecting us from health threats, making decisions and recommendations based on the best evidence available.
While children appear to be spared the severe illness and serious risk of death that adults face from COVID-19, our understanding of the virus’ impact on children continues to evolve. Almost every day, new evidence becomes available about how children catch and pass on the virus and on the consequences of infection. The evolving understanding of the virus has important implications for getting our children back to the foundational experiences that play a key role in their long-term health and development. As pediatrician scientists, we have spent our professional lives bridging the gap between clinical care and cutting-edge research. We have seen firsthand how the scientific process plays out through a process of critical inquiry, asking important questions and slowly uncovering the answers through rigorous research.
As we continue to consider how to make schools safe, it is essential for decision-makers to be guided by the science, shift though it may, and be prepared to change strategies and tactics in the face of new evidence. We must also reject efforts to undermine the role of science in shaping our response to COVID-19 at the risk of jeopardizing the opportunities we do have to reclaim important parts of our daily lives. Failing to do so threatens not just homeroom but dance recitals, chemistry class and Little League too. We urge you to put science first. Our children are counting on us.