Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Drops Social Distance In Schools From 6 Feet To 3 Feet, With Limits
Politico: CDC Cuts School Distancing Requirements To 3 Feet
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that students attending in-person instruction only need to stay 3 feet apart, rather than 6, as long as universal masking is maintained. The agency’s new guidance, released Friday, recommends 3 feet of separation at elementary, middle and high schools in communities with low, moderate or substantial transmission. But the agency says middle school and high school students should stay 6 feet apart in communities where test positivity rates are 10 percent or higher and cohorting — when groups of students are kept together with the same staff throughout the day — is not available. (Banco, 3/19)
CIDRAP: CDC Updates COVID School Guidance, OKs 3-Feet Distancing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today updated its guidance on school reopening and said that for most elementary and middle schools across the country, at least 3 feet of physical distancing is sufficient when masks are worn properly. For middle schools and high schools in areas with high community transmission, 6 feet of distancing is still recommended unless students can cohort in small groups. And 6 feet is still required when students are not wearing masks—while eating lunch, for example. (Soucheray, 3/19)
In related news about remote learning —
CIDRAP: CDC Survey Shows Remote Learning In Pandemic Strains Children, Parents
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today published a survey that shows that American families have been strained by school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and suffer high levels of stress when children are given online instruction. The survey, conducted Oct 8 through Nov 13, 2020, included 1,290 respondents who have children ages 5 through 12 enrolled in public or private school: 45.7% reported that their child received virtual instruction, 30.9% in-person instruction, and 23.4% combined instruction. (3/19)
CNBC: Remote Learning: Parents Stressed Out, Some Turned To Drugs, Alcohol: CDC
Parents with kids stuck home during the pandemic will tell you how stressed they are, but now the CDC has scientific evidence that virtual schooling is taking a real physical and emotional toll — driving some parents to drugs and alcohol to help cope. The findings, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggest that virtual learning “might present more risks than in-person instruction related to child and parental mental and emotional health and some health-supporting behaviors.” (Miao and Higgins-Dunn, 3/19)
