The return to in-person classes in nearly two-thirds of the U.S. hasn’t led to a rash of community outbreaks, federal scientists said in a study of 2.87 million cases among those under age 24.
Disease rates in counties where in-person learning is available for school-aged children and adolescents is similar to areas where classes are entirely online, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It concludes schools should be the last to close, and the first to re-open.
Meanwhile, young adults ages 18 to 24, who led the country in infections during the summer and fall, may have contributed more to community transmission, the agency said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“CDC recommends that K-12 schools be the last settings to close after all other mitigation measures have been employed and the first to reopen when they can do so safely,” according to the report.
The scientists also noted that COVID-19 transmission in children associated with reopening child care centers and elementary schools “might be lower than that for reopening high schools and institutions of higher education.”
The only way to safely launch in-person learning is for the broader community to strictly follow social distancing measures, particularly steps like wearing masks, which will reduce the risk to children and older residents, the agency said.
The report offered no insight on the risks to school teachers and staff members, as there is no information gathering nationwide on their infection rates.
