CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Reopening schools is top of mind for families across the country. It has become a polarizing issue, but everyone agrees that school has major benefits for kids and being inside the classroom is the best option. But, an expert from Johns Hopkins University says that can’t safely happen until the community helps get the number of Covid-19 cases down.
"It doesn't make sense if we're taking all of these measures in school to try to limit our exposure to each other but then people go and congregate in social settings when they're not in school,” said Jennifer Nuzzo with the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative. She’s been studying coronavirus trends around the world.
When it comes to reopening schools responsibly, it has to be the top priority for everyone in the community, regardless of if they have a child in school. Simple things health officials have been reminding the public about for months can make a difference. Wearing a mask, social distancing and washing hands often can help speed up the process.
“The more of us who are committed to doing that, the lower infections will be and the easier it will be to open schools without concerns they'll have to shut again,” said Nuzzo.
For parents weighing the options, Nuzzo suggests looking at the bigger picture to make the choice that is best for the entire family’s health.
"We're less worried about kids with this virus than we are about adults. So, for me, it would be how worried are you about the adults in the family,” she said. If an adult in the family is high risk, remote learning may be a safer option for now."
She says if everyone does the hard work, getting schools safely opened back up isn’t far out of reach.
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