The start of the 2020/21 school year has been unlike any other: mask usage, desk arrangements, testing, and more debates, have resulted in a wave of uneasiness across the globe. From nurseries to universities, institutions and government bodies are facing the challenge of keeping COVID-19 at bay, while keeping students and teachers safe.
The WHO advises that “sick students, teachers, and other staff should not come to school“ [1], but that is easier said than done given the asymptomatic spread of COVID-19, which the CDC estimates to be close to 40% [2]. When and if someone displays symptoms might be too late.
In the meantime, the number of COVID-19 cases in children in the U.S. is on the rise. In a report issued in late August by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, child cases increased by 21%, making them 1 in 10 known cases in the country [3].
The impact of COVID-19 school closures
COVID-19 school closures could cost the U.S. Economy $14 trillion, according to a report by economists Eric Hanushek, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and Ludger Woessmann, professor at the University of Munich [4]. This translates into a 1.5% loss in GDP. On the other hand, the threat of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools goes beyond its impact on livelihood and the smooth running of schools, since children and teens may also be living with parents who are immunocompromised, and are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill in case of contacting SARS-CoV-2 [5].
