Three new important studies came out in the past week about kids & #COVID19. All have limits (the science isn& #39;t perfect). But together, they matter, & you deserve to know about them!

A thread on the takeaways for all of us, as parents / teachers / communities? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đź§µ" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">
1) First, this one from S Korea and @CDCMMWR: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article

Like">https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/artic... all the studies, this one wasn& #39;t perfect, but the takeaway: Older kids most likely transmit #COVID19 to their household at rates similar to adults. And younger kids transmit the virus, too.
What does that mean for the rest of us? It means that:

a] in schools, kids can likely transmit to teachers & vice versa, BUT

b] this study was done in households: so NO MASKS OR DISTANCING. (Very important point!)
(Caveat: we don& #39;t know whether this virus is infectious. But this data matches what we know about other respiratory viruses.

The next step will be studying test swabs to see if kids& #39; virus can reproduce. I suspect it can.)
What does it mean for the rest of us?

a] It supports that (contrary to earlier data), kids DO get infected and DO have high levels of virus.

b] We still need to practice #publichealth precautions. We can& #39;t let kids ignore #SocialDistancing & #MaskUp just bc they& #39;re kids.
Importantly, this study looks at ASSOCIATION not causation.

As I know from my #gunviolence work, policies often serve as a proxy for culture. So the states with early shut-down of schools may have differed in other, intangible, unmeasured ways from those with late closure.
But....

What does it mean for the rest of us?

Once #COVID19 infection rates start to rise, it would be foolhardy to keep schools open IRL. And we should be planning NOW for how to keep kids healthy, safe, & fed, because that moment will likely come for every state.
To be clear, as outlined by my colleague @ProfEmilyOster, there are plenty of examples of camps & daycares that have avoided transmission, even in hot-spot areas of the country. https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/triangulating-evidence-on-outbreaks">https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/triangu...
Realistically, we MUST control levels of community transmission of #COVID19 if we want kids & teachers in schools.

We may be able to send kids back, but we need PPE & regular, random testing of kids & teachers, whether in elementary, middle, high school, or college
5) Finally, on a bigger level: We keep saying we want schools to open because they provide food, shelter, social support.

As a researcher on teen violence & mental health, I know these matter.

BUT IF WE REALLY CARE ABOUT KIDS& #39; HEALTH, let& #39;s act like it.
--> It& #39;s not schools& #39; fault that we rely on them for far too much.

Let& #39;s think outside the box of ways we can do it all, instead of forcing families to decide (in high #COVID19 prevalence states) between food/work vs. infection/death. .
--> And, if we really care about kids& #39; health, let& #39;s make it possible for them to not get infected in the first place.

#TestTraceIsolate #MaskUp and #FollowTheScience
7) Last, bc I& #39;ve been getting asked a lot, what will I do with my kids?

For now, I will be sending them back, but ONLY because I& #39;m in a low-prevalence state; & our school will enforce masks & decrease classroom size.

(Caveat: my decision may change, if the data changes.)
TL/DR?

* Kids do get sick
* Kids do transmit the virus
* School is still possible ... but only with strict precautions & if community infection rates are low
* NO MATTER WHAT, #MaskUp and insist on testing

/fin
You can follow @meganranney.
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