MADISON, Ala. — The CDC says there is little evidence schools have contributed to the pandemic.
The CDC recently reported that despite data showing COVID-19 spread is rapid in congregate living facilities, that has not translated in schools. Health experts say this is only possible if schools are following strict COVID procedures.
Huntsville Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Ali Hassoun, said, "It depends on the physical distance as well, because if you are wearing a mask, there is still a possibility of infection if you are in close contact for a long time in an enclosed space."
Dr. Hassoun says the prevention methods that have been applied in schools for months now do help but do not completely prevent the spread of the virus, especially if case numbers are high in the community.
“It can reduce some of the transmission, but it is very difficult to control the virus if you have that much transmission in the middle,” said Dr. Hassoun. “It’s not just the child, it’s the teacher who works in the school. Everybody can be a carrier of the virus.”
Although the CDC is reporting that in-school transmission is low, they say athletic teams show a higher risk of spread.
Madison City Schools saw this just last week when 150 students at Discovery Middle School were sent home to quarantine due to a couple students who tested positive. The school system says most of these quarantines stemmed from two separate athletic teams being exposed to a positive case. The students positive for the virus attended a non-school gatherings with other middle school students.
Madison City Schools Lead Nurse, Bonnie Davis, said, "Even though it sounds like an awful lot of people, when you have a student that's in five different classes, and when we're full face to face, we are unable to do six foot social distancing. There’s too many kids in Madison City, and the classrooms are just not that big."
Madison City Schools says because social distancing at least six feet is not possible in every classroom, in-person learning can lead to more students who need to quarantine.
The school system says they have several COVID-19 protocols in place. Students and staff must wear masks, plexiglass has been installed in between desks, and cleaning crews thoroughly and frequently deep clean the schools.
Because the school system had to quarantine over 100 students after going back to in-person learning, they moved their middle and high schools to a hybrid schedule starting Monday.
"I understand academically it's hard for people that need to be face to face that have to be sent home, but we are following our health department guidelines and looking out and protecting our students,” said Davis.
The school system is proving their COVID protocols are working. They say their numbers show positive tests in students and staff remain less than 1%.
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