Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021
After nearly a year of online education amid the coronavirus pandemic, students, parents and teachers are eager for a return to the classroom. But, of course, there are health concerns.
Many want to wait until vaccines are readily available, while others have had enough and worry that children are being damaged emotionally and educationally. It’s a difficult decision that has been made more so by conflicting messages.
And now, the CDC and Duke University indicate that it may, in fact, be safe to reopen schools if proper precautions are taken.
So, let’s hear from public health experts about what this research says. The case for reopening schools.
Guests
Anya Kamenetz, education correspondent at NPR. She’s also the author of “The Art of Screen Time” and working on a new book about children and COVID-19.
Dr. Danny Benjamin, professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine and Co-Chair of the ABC Science Collaborative. He's the co-author of a study that found limited COVID-19 spread in schools that had safety measures in place.
Dr. Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings Program and an associate professor at Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health