Survey Of World

Millions of American kids will head back to classrooms in the coming days — just as the Omicron variant is fueling record new Covid-19 case counts.

And that has many parents wondering what’s safe as the most contagious variant yet sweeps the country.

“We fear that it’s going to get a lot worse, between getting together for the holidays and then getting back to school,” said Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer at Texas Children’s Pediatrics & Texas Children’s Urgent Care in Houston.

As pediatric Covid-19 hospitalizations approach record highs, some cities and school districts are taking aggressive new measures.

In Washington, DC, all public school students and staff must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test before returning from winter break.

In New York City, public school students who test positive will get a week’s worth of at-home tests so they can know when it’s safer to return to school.

But do vaccinated students still need to wear masks? What should families do if they can’t get Covid-19 tests? Should activities like choir and basketball practice be sidelined until the Omicron surge passes?

Here’s how several pediatricians and health experts answered some of the most critical questions from parents:

Should kids not return to classrooms just yet?

In areas of very high transmission, it might be too early to resume in-person learning, pediatrician Dr. Peter Hotez said.

“I wouldn’t do it now,” said Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

“You have got a screaming level of transmission in the Northeast, in New York City and Washington, DC. Trying to open schools at this point, it’s hard to imagine how things will go well.”

But the US Department of Education is urging school districts to take safety precautions and ensure classrooms are open for in-person learning.

“It is incredibly important that all schools work to remain open for in-person learning five days a week, especially in light of the Omicron variant,” according to a new resource guide addressed to school leaders

Pediatrician Dr. Paul Offit said it’s important for kids to be able to stay in classrooms — and not just for their academic health.

Should children get tested before coming back to school? 

“Getting kids back in school has to be No. 1 — but doing so safely has to be critical,” epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed said.

“So I do think that requiring a negative test before going back to the classroom is a prudent approach here.”

But many families can’t find at-home rapid tests or can’t afford them. And a federal program to make millions of tests available for free doesn’t start until next month.

Offit said he doesn’t think children necessarily need to be tested before returning to school unless they recently had contact with someone who had Covid-19 or if they have symptoms.

He said: But if a child has symptoms “and if you can’t test them, assume it’s Covid,” Offit said.

“And then follow all the guidelines — meaning quarantine until asymptomatic and mask for five days after that.”