WiReD: "Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid?"

[Pluvious]

I guess it just comes down to, "what do you have to lose?"

Studies from around the world suggest that success depends on class size, distancing, the age of the students, and how prevalent the virus is locally.

As school officials try to figure out whether to open classrooms this fall, the science they need to make these tough choices is still evolving. A few things are clear: That most kids don’t become as seriously ill from Covid-19 as adults, and have much lower fatality rates. That’s according to data from the US and China published by the Centers for Disease Control.

But the question of how likely children are to spread it to teachers, staff and other students still hasn’t been settled. One large new study from South Korea found children under the age of 10 appear to not transmit the virus very well. While it's not exactly clear why, the pediatric infectious disease experts contacted by WIRED say that it's perhaps because young children expel less air that contains the virus and are shorter, so any potential respiratory droplets are less likely to reach adults. A study published in April by researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston suggests that younger kids haven’t developed the molecular keys that the virus exploits to enter the body and wreak havoc on the respiratory system, microscopic structures known as ACE2 receptors.

But older students are more like adults in their ability to transmit the virus, according to the South Korea study, which makes school opening decisions tougher. Should administrators allow only elementary students to attend in person, while middle and high schoolers stay online at home? If they do, will younger children be able to keep their masks on all day or stay six feet apart? What about the psychological effects of continued isolation on teens, who many parents believe are already racking up too much screen time during the pandemic shutdown and now are facing months of online learning?

https://www.wired.com/story/some-countries-reopened-schools-what-did-they-learn-about-kids-and-covid/amp

[Cracklin Charlie]

1. I think I caught mine from a small child.

A two year old (my granddaughter) sneezed in my face twice one day. About 7 days later I was really sick.

She probably contracted it from her five year old sister, who spent the week prior out of school due to fever. Small children cannot understand physical distancing, or even covering up when they sneeze or cough.

It matters not what age they are, children are superspreaders. Symptomatic or not, they easily pass it to vulnerable populations. They can’t help it.

Opening schools is a terrible idea.

[crickets]

2. Israeli Data Show School Openings Were a Disaster That Wiped Out Lockdown Gains JUL14

https://news.yahoo.com/israeli-data-show-school-openings-073608473.html

Israel’s unchecked resurgence of COVID-19 was propelled by the abrupt May 17 decision to reopen all schools, medical and public-health officials have told The Daily Beast. [snip]

Importantly, on May 17 in Israel it appeared the virus not only was under control, but defeated. Israel reported only 10 new cases of COVID-19 in the entire country that day. In the U.S., the debate often is about reopening schools where the disease is not only not in decline, but surging. [snip]

On July 2, Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist at the Federation of American Scientists, tweeted a chart showing Israel’s rate of infection surging past Europe and fast approaching the disastrous rate in the U.S., noting that it was exactly one month since the reopening of Israeli schools.

The level of school contagion became public last week during testimony provided to Israeli legislators by Udi Kliner, the health ministry’s deputy director of public-health services, whose boss had just quit in protest against the government’s mishandling of the crisis. Israel now surpasses 1,200 new cases of COVID-19 a day.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. I Saw A Doc On WGN

Don't recall his name, but the chyron said "Live from Boston"
He said there is a lung morphology difference in kids from early adolescence, & younger.
They tends to breath more from the upper part of the lungs than do adults.
Because of gravity, mucuous and moisture in the lungs flows down so adults, breathing more from deep in the lungs expel more droplets. The kids, breathing from higher up, have lower droplet concentrations in the exhalations.
I was completely unaware if this difference until I heardnhim speak.
I think this was last Wednesday or Thursday.