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Do What is Best for Children

The Reno County Health Department continues to ignore the science when advising schools as to whether or not kids should be in the classroom. According to the scientific data, children need to be in the classroom. Sending children home increases the chances for detrimental effects of “toxic stress,” which include social isolation, decreased supervision, decreased learning acuity, increased screen-time, cyber-bullying, decreased physical activity, possible decreased water intake and food availability. Remote learning has resulted in kids falling behind in school, increasing numbers of kids with depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies.

CDC Director, Dr. Robert Redfield said, “The truth is, for kids K–12, one of the safest places…is to remain in school.” Children, 0-19, are the safest population to be around because they are less likely to transmit the virus than adults. Using antibody and PCR testing researchers found the transmission rate of children to staff was only 1.0%, while the transmission rate between staff members was 4.4%. They found the transmission rate between children to only be 0.3%. A German study found that children might act as a brake on infection. Sweden kept schools open and unmasked during the pandemic, yet their decision to adhere to the science and do what has always been done before, did not lead to a higher rate of infection among their children compared to neighboring Finland, where schools were closed temporarily.