ICYMI: Duke, UNC Researchers Find “No Child-to-Adult Transmission” of Virus in Open Schools
Study: “Our data indicate that schools can reopen safely if they develop and adhere to specific SARS-CoV-2 prevention policies”
Raleigh, N.C. — A groundbreaking study conducted by UNC and Duke University researchers adds yet more to the mountain of evidence supporting the conclusion that parents should have the option to send their children back to school for full-time, in-person instruction.
In the first study of its kind in North Carolina, the researchers “examined 11 school districts with nearly 100,000 students/staff open for 9 weeks of in-person instruction, tracking secondary transmission of SARS-CoV-2.”
Their conclusion? “Within-school infections were extremely rare…If secondary transmission were as common in schools as in the community, we would anticipate 800–900 secondary infections within schools; however, only 32 within-school SARS-CoV-2 transmissions occurred,” and “no instances of child-to-adult transmission of SARS-CoV-2 were reported within schools.”
The researchers followed the science and data in reaching the evidence-based conclusion that far too many are too scared to state publicly: “Our data support the concept that schools can stay open safely in communities with widespread community transmission.”
Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-Watauga) said, “The education bureaucracy is burying its head in the sand by withholding from children their Constitutional right to a sound, basic education. They’re ignoring the mountain of evidence and pleas from objective public health observers, educators, and parents that show continued school closures are a disaster, and some children may never recover. Local school superintendents are grappling with inconsistent attendance, subpar student engagement, and lower grades for students, and overworked teachers who must tailor instruction for both virtual and in-person classes. The science and data show it is time to grant all parents the choice of full-time, in-person instruction.”
