![]() Most of the mitigation efforts thus far have been at the direction of state and local governments. It also reduces disruption to education and parents who are missing work because they are staying home with kids who are sick or because they themselves become sick.For almost a year, schools have been reacting to the unprecedented circumstances that Covid-19 has caused. And reducing cases also reduces hospitalizations and deaths. And we see that there are large disparities by race, ethnicity, by income, and that people who are at high risk of severe COVID, people who are disabled are at elevated risk of death and other severe outcomes due to COVID.Īnd so that's why it is important to take mitigation steps, like implementing mask mandate, at the beginning of surges to reduce the amount that COVID spreads. So, I think that number is too high a level to accept. And we expect that number of deaths per day to increase during the school year, as people go back into crowded indoor settings, as there may be seasonal surges or surges of new variants. At one point, the federal government had talked about setting a goal about 200 deaths a day. Yes, 500 deaths a day is a lot of deaths. What that would look like would also be increasing that vaccination coverage and booster coverage before the surge hits, and then increases in testing and supplies, as well as remote options for people who are high-risk, when there is very high transmission. What that would look like would be mask mandates that turn on at the beginning of a surge. So what we really want to see more of is more preparedness to reduce the harms of surges, which will hit schools first and most because they are crowded indoor settings. And we want them to be safe for students, especially when there are surges. They're crowded indoor settings, where we require students to go. We also see that vaccines alone are not enough to reduce high transmission. ![]() So, we really need increased vaccination coverage to help reduce preventable severe disease in kids. Just about half of children are vaccinated at this point. What I would like to see is more of an emphasis on vaccine delivery at schools. We need leadership on helping people improve the use of all of the tools that we have to reduce COVID-19. So, I think these guidelines could really be strengthened. So, I think we should be looking to the CDC to set a high bar on evidence-based standards and standards that are equitable and inclusive. Julia Raifman, Boston University School of Public Health: Thank you so much for having me. Do these new CDC guidelines get it mostly right or mostly wrong, in your view? The CDC has pointed to falling case numbers and hospitalizations, as well as to the fact that a lot of Americans now have some protection from COVID, either from the vaccine or having already gotten it. Julia Raifman, thank you so much for joining the "NewsHour." State Policy Database, which tracks how states have responded to the pandemic. She's an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health. Not all health experts agree with the new CDC guidelines.įor more, I'm joined by Julia Raifman. What's more, the CDC also no longer recommends routine testing in K-12 schools, unless community transmission is high. If you test positive, the CDC recommends masking for 10 days, but says isolation can end after day five if symptoms are improving. The CDC now says to wear a mask and get tested. ![]() ![]() If exposed to COVID-19, it's no longer necessary to quarantine. Judy, the latest guidance from the CDC prioritizes keeping kids in class and relaxes COVID prevention measures for people of all ages. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |