CDC Director Reminds Everyone That In-person Learning is Safe

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield reminded everyone that in-person learning is safe.

Redfield said that “extensive data” confirms “k-12 schools can operate with face-to-face learning and they can do it safely” during the White House COVID-19 press briefing on Thursday.

This is what Redfield had to say.

“Today, there is extensive data that we have gathered over the last two to three months to confirm that k-12 schools can operate with face-to-face learning and they can do it safely and they can do it responsibly,” Redfield said. “The infections we have identified in the schools, when they have been evaluating, were not acquired in schools. They were acquired in the community and the household.”

From Denver7

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The CDC has recommended keeping schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic since the fall semester began.

They cite that the virus is relatively harmless to people under 20. Younger children are also less likely to spread the virus, according to the CDC.

Redfield gave similar guidance back in July.

In fact, Redfield went even further, testifying that closing schools is actually worse for students.

“I’m of the point of view as a public health leader in this nation, that having the schools actually closed is a greater public health threat to the children than having the schools reopen,” Redfield told The Hill’s Steve Clemons.

From The Hill

It makes sense.

How do students replace social interaction?

Students need social interaction (we all do). If students are kept from social interaction, it is damaging to their development. That leads to a limited number of options.

Students might become isolated and risk the mental health issues associated with that isolation. While Zoom calls might help, they are not an equal replacement for face-to-face contact.

The other option is students seek social interaction elsewhere. That might be at work, at their friend’s house down the street, or somewhere else in public where the risk of contracting a virus is just as high as in a classroom.

Closing schools also fails to account for parents who now need to find daytime care for their child. That means some parents will send their children to friend’s houses or even to older, retired (at-risk people) family members.

The CDC Director says in-person learning is safe and the best option for students, teachers, and society. So why are Democrat-led states rushing to shut schools down?

Read the full CDC guidance on operating schools.

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