CDC's hopes for reopening schools safely boosted by 'encouraging' child-care center study

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe Rhode Island has provided cause for optimism that schools and child-care programs can reopen safely during the coronavirus, The Washington Post reports.

A federal study published Friday on 666 Rhode Island child-care centers that reopened this summer found that new coronavirus cases and secondary transmission linked to the centers were limited. During a two-month period between June 1 and July 31, there were 52 confirmed and probable cases reported across 29 programs, and 20 of the programs reported only one case, while only four centers had cases that involved possible spread of the virus, the study found. CDC Director Robert Redfield said the "inspiring" article showed "there is a path" to reopening child-care programs and possibly schools safely.

The reasons behind the initial success don't appear too complicated — enrollment was restricted to 12 (then raised to 20), staff members and students were confined to specific groups, masking was required for adults, and adults and children were screened daily for symptoms. Basically, people had to buy in, which is simple at first glance, but has been a struggle throughout the pandemic. Rhode Island also allowed for the centers to reopen at a time of low community spread.

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Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Study, called the data "encouraging," though she doesn't think the study alone is enough to extend the findings to schools since "we think transmission risk may increase with age." But, she added, "the finding that safety measures, such as mask-wearing, can potentially prevent secondary transmission, should increase our confidence that these measures will be important in school settings." Read more at The Washington Post.