NYC Again Reopens Some Public School Classrooms

AP: Citing Low Virus Rates In Schools, NYC Again Reopens Schools
It’s back to school again for some New York City schoolchildren, weeks after the schools were closed to in-person learning because of rising COVID-19 infections. The city’s public school system, which shut down in-person learning earlier this month, will bring back on Monday preschool students and children in kindergarten through fifth grade whose parents chose a mix of in-school and remote learning. Special education students in all grades who have particularly complex needs will be welcomed back starting Thursday. (12/7)

Houston Chronicle: COVID Spread Remains Minimal In Texas Schools Despite State Surge
As COVID-19 cases have risen dramatically in Texas and across the country, there is one place where the coronavirus seems to spread less than others: the classroom. While Texas public school districts report about 41,000 students and 24,600 staff members testing positive since the start of the school year — equal to slightly less than 2 percent of those on campuses, according to state estimates — health experts said only a small share of those cases stem from in-classroom transmission. (Harris and Carpenter, 12/5)

Crain's Chicago Business: Why The Pandemic Is Hurting Chicago's Top Children's Hospital More Than Its Rivals
Lurie Children's Hospital has long been recognized as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country, in part because of its laser focus on treating kids. But that focus is making it harder for Lurie, the area's dominant pediatric provider, to weather COVID-19. Patient volumes are down sharply as families fearing infection delay medical care and kids spend more time at home, avoiding many of the childhood ailments and injuries that would bring them to Lurie. Unlike general acute care hospitals, pediatric facilities can't offset such declines with large numbers of COVID-19 cases. The virus isn't as prevalent in children, and only a small number of kids that become infected require hospitalization. (Goldberg, 12/6)

The New York Times: Youth Sports After Covid-19: New Pediatric Guidelines 
The American Academy of Pediatrics posted updated guidance Friday on young people and sports in the pandemic, making a strong recommendation that participants should wear face masks for all indoor sports. It made exceptions only while swimming and diving, since it’s harder to breathe through wet masks; during gymnastics and cheerleading, where masks could get caught or obstruct vision; and during wrestling contact, where they could be a choking hazard. (Klass, 12/4)

Politico: Spring Surge Of College Students Will Challenge Covid Defenses 
Hundreds of the nation’s colleges and universities plan to bring thousands of students back to campus next semester even though most of the schools are unprepared or unequipped for the volume of testing needed to keep Covid-19 infections in check. The lack of robust campus testing plans comes despite growing scientific consensus that colleges should include frequent Covid-19 scans to help stop and prevent outbreaks. And a vaccine will not eliminate the need to test students, an expert panel said last week. (Perez Jr. and Quilantan, 12/7)

KHN: Fear And Loathing As Colleges Face Another Season Of Red Ink 
When the University of California’s Board of Regents got a close look at the numbers in September, it was the visual equivalent of a thunderclap. The massive university system, with 10 campuses and more than 285,000 students, was hemorrhaging money — $2.2 billion in lost revenue and additional costs, mostly due to the pandemic. While some of those losses came from medical centers that temporarily gave up high-paying elective procedures in order to treat COVID patients, the bigger picture was as vexing as it was simple: In the age of pandemic-induced remote learning, the campuses were largely deserted. And when students aren’t living on campus, schools stop making money. Fast. (Kreidler, 12/7)

In related pediatric news —

AP: ER Visits, Long Waits Climb For Kids In Mental Health Crisis
When children and teens are overwhelmed with anxiety, depression or thoughts of self-harm, they often wait days in emergency rooms because there aren’t enough psychiatric beds. The problem has only grown worse during the pandemic, reports from parents and professionals suggest. With schools closed, routines disrupted and parents anxious over lost income or uncertain futures, children are shouldering new burdens many are unequipped to bear. And with surging numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, bed space is even scarcer. (Tanner, 12/5)