Let kids be kids again

To the Times:

Like so many other families, 2020 was a hard year for us. While we were blessed with good health, the anxiety of the pandemic and the looming threat of unemployment made this an extremely stressful year.

It was hardest on the kids. Fourteen days of “flattening the curve” turned into a year of isolation; remote-only learning, sports and after-school activities cancelled, friends drifting apart. I know I’m not alone when I confess I grew deeply concerned about my child’s mental health and psychological wellbeing.

That’s why I was so overjoyed when schools in southeastern Pennsylvania finally reopened. Of course, widespread distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine helped ensure that teachers and staff can work in a safe and healthy environment. There was another innovation that contributed to the successful reopening as well.

The federal Department of Health and Human services partnered The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a leading AI firm called DataRobot to enable rapid testing of all school staff and students every week. The tests are quick – usually around 15 minutes – and accurate. It allows school districts to monitor for respiratory infection and disease; not just COVID-19 but influenza as well. This is vitally important for keeping schools open and for combatting viral outbreaks in the future.

My hope is that other school districts across the nation can deploy this wonderful program and kids everywhere can get back to being kids.