Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How Close Is Too Close In Classroom? CDC May Loosen Guidance To 3 Feet
The Washington Post: CDC Set To Revisit Advice On Spacing Between Students Amid New Evidence
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that her agency would “soon” revisit its guidelines encouraging schools to keep six feet of distance between people, saying new evidence has emerged that three feet may be enough. The six-foot guideline has discouraged many school leaders from reopening their classrooms full-time. Instead, to reduce the number of students in classrooms at any given time, many school systems teach students part-time in school and part-time from home. (Meckler, 3/17)
NBC News: Is 3 Feet Enough For Social Distancing In Schools? CDC Looking Into Relaxing Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking into whether 6 feet of distance is necessary to keep students safe at school — or if 3 feet will suffice. The debate carries major implications for school reopenings: The current CDC guidance recommends maintaining 6 feet of distance between students, severely limiting the number of people who can safely fit into each classroom. (Edwards, 3/17)
The New York Times: A New Study Suggests Students Can Be Just 3 Feet Apart Safely
School shutdowns have been a divisive topic since the pandemic erupted, and a new study has ignited debate over the six-foot rule of social distancing and whether it can be relaxed in classroom settings, which would ease the way for children to return to schools. The new study, published last week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, suggests public schools may be able to reopen safely for in-person instruction as long as children maintain three feet of distance between them, and with other mitigation measures maintained, such as wearing masks. (Rabin, 3/14)
In related news about school ventilation —
Axios: Better Ventilation May Help Schools Beyond The Pandemic
Improving schools' ventilation systems won't only help keep kids safe from COVID-19, but may also improve their academic performance in the process. As schools figure out what they need to do to safely resume in-person classes, some experts are advocating for options — like better air filtration — that would yield added benefits beyond the pandemic. (Fernandez, 3/18)
