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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed contentious school boards from their website that advocated returning students to in-person learning.
The guidelines were quietly removed on October 29 without any public announcement or explanation. Originally published in July, the agency downplayed the risks of COVID-19 transmission to children and others, stressing that closing schools would be detrimental to their social and emotional well-being and their safety.
The document was deleted because information on the transmission of COVID-19 among children was out of date, Jason McDonald, a spokesperson for the CDC, said in a statement.
“This document does not provide the proper and necessary context or considerations on how to safely open schools for in-person learning,” McDonald said.
The CDC’s website now says that “the body of evidence is growing that children of all ages are susceptible to contracting SARS-CoV-2 and, unlike early reports, could play a role in transmission.
News of the CDC’s change of message came as Michigan coronavirus cases increased and state restrictions including a halt to face-to-face teaching in high schools and colleges until December 8 , were adopted to help slow the spread of the virus.
RELATED: Michigan Shuts In-Person Meals And High School Sports In Response To Spike In COVID-19 Cases
“Over the past nine months, we’ve learned that school-aged children can contract COVID and while their symptoms can usually be mild, they succumb to the virus,” said Liz Boyd, spokesperson for the Michigan Education Association, in a statement. “They can also pass it on to otherwise healthy people and those numbers are increasing. ”
Will the change in CDC guidelines make a difference?
“We are not in a position to say it, but we do know our members believe that virtual learning, while not optimal, is the best option in the face of these skyrocketing COVID-19 cases.” , Boyd said.
Teachers are on the front lines of this pandemic and believe their voices should be heard, Boyd said. She cited findings from the recent MEA survey of members that show that more than 8 in 10 Michigan educators are concerned about the safety of in-person learning right now.
“It’s unfortunate that some people are unwilling to take the science and advice of experts in public health,” Boy said.
RELATED: Michigan teachers not confident about in-person lessons returning in January, poll finds
The decision to teach in person or remotely was left to Michigan school districts this fall. But the safety measures taken last week by state and local health officials do not fully align with the CDC’s updated guidelines on in-person learning. Districts were not required to close buildings to in-person K-8 classes because the risk of transmission was considered lower.
State guidelines on COVID-19 have changed over time based on new knowledge about COVID-19, said Lynn Sutfin, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
“COVID-19 is a new virus and a lot has been learned since the start of the pandemic about symptoms, transmission and prevention,” Sutfin said in a prepared statement. “The tips have been updated and changed over time.”
State health officials have recognized that COVID-19 can spread to all age groups, Sutfin said.
“We shared the message that all Michiganders, regardless of age, are vulnerable to COVID-19 and the health effects of the virus and can spread the virus to others,” she said. “MDHHS officials use data and science with advice from the CDC to help make recommendations on a variety of issues.”
When state restrictions were announced on November 15, MDHHS director Robert Gordon said COVID-19 transmission rates vary from grade level to grade, with transmission being more likely to occur in high school level.
In a public health warning issued Friday, November 20 by the Kent County Health Department, Principal Adam London said students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 could continue to learn face-to-face even though high schools had been ordered to close, calling the younger students. “Coronavirus transmitters less effective than high school students.”
“The education of our young people is also essential for the well-being of the community,” says the health notice.
RELATED: Kent County issues public health warning as new coronavirus infections reach ‘dangerous levels’
The announcement was made based on recommendations from a team of pediatricians and doctors, who said young children are less effective at spreading the virus, London said.
But the health director also acknowledged that, because COVID-19 is so new, the evidence is not 100% conclusive.
“It is unfortunate that we do not have very clear, concise and conclusive scientific guidelines or data on what the best thing to do is,” said London, when asked whether the guidelines from the CDC and the MDHHS contradicted each other.
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