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The United States is a large country with disparities in COVID-19 immunization rates and incidence between states — and even within them. Now, the fast spread of the highly infectious Delta variation is confounding our understanding of how well vaccinations protects us from infection.If you're a parent, you're undoubtedly wondering about how COVID-19 will influence the back-to-school season, regardless of where you reside. What will the first few weeks and months of the school year be like? How flexible will we have to be? Health guidelines for the United States, as well as state and municipal regulations, will continue to evolve. We'll go through the current guidelines for keeping schools and children safe when students return to classes in the coming weeks and explain what families can do outside of school to further reduce the risk of infection.
National recommendations for safe schools
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States both recommend that :
Regardless of vaccination status, all staff and students above the age of two who are able to securely mask should do so inside.
Anyone above the age of 12 should get vaccinated.
Undergoing preventive measures in schools by keeping at least three feet between people when possible, better ventilation, frequent hand-washing, and staying home when sick.
If exposures occur in the school, schools should maintain active protocols to contact-trace, isolate, and quarantine impacted children and staff.