HOW TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER A PANDEMIC: SOME IDEAS

GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL: IDEAS It seems everything about this pandemic has caught us off guard but now we have an opportunity to plan ahead for a change. One must understand that things are never going to be ideal, corona viruses will not disappear from human existence now they are here. The best we can hope for is containment, something that a vaccine could help with, but which can still occur without one. The vaccine is a year or more away and we cannot wait another year for our kids to go back to school. We all need to be clear that there is no such thing as ‘zero risk’. So we should work with what we have and plan ahead. Here are some ideas on how to reduce the risk for students. I hope if you know someone in education, you will forward this to them. First, I truly believe kids could return to school in September. That gives us 4.5 months to get ready, ample time. Kids should be encouraged to bring the minimum amount of extra stuff to school. Show and tell maybe a thing of the past! School bus/ transport: Parents who can, and who want to, can take their kids to school themselves. They should be encouraged to do so. This reduces the crowding on the buses or there can be alternating days when some parents drive and some bus. The bus drivers should wear gloves and masks and squirt hand sanitizer (first grade and up) onto the kids hands before they get on the bus. (This will require prior consent from the parents stating they allow hand sanitizer to be administered to their child for the common good). On the bus the seats should be marked to allow for social distancing maybe 2 or 3 seats apart. The windows of the school bus should remain 3 inches open to significantly decrease the concentrations of airborne contaminants. Each bus can be sanitized at the end of the day. At the school: On arrival all kids should pass through the contactless temperature scanner. Any child with an elevated temperature should not be allowed in. No temperature, then next stop would be the bathroom for hand washing. On the way into each class a little hand sanitizer. I took these building suggestions from the Harvard Gazette (4/24/20): Engineering for healthy building strategies like: Optimize the building ventilation, filtration and purification. Increase the flow of outside air, install portable air purifiers and swap out existing filters in air circulating systems for ones that can capture smaller particles. Rearrange the desks so that they are staged and children are not sitting directly opposite or in front of each other. Gym should be held outside where possible, when not maybe shorten the day? Teachers should wear masks because they have to speak loudly and therefore aerosolize droplets. Public Health Education: (This is key!) Educate the school nurses, teachers, parents, students and staff about virus infections and how they spread. Train the custodial staff on sanitization protocols. It sounds like a lot but most of these measures actually don’t cost a lot. The fact of the matter is the world has changed forever and we must adapt to it. I would love to hear your comments on these ideas and please forward them to the educators. Let’s at least start the conversation. Everyday health in extraordinary times: We are staying open so you can stay healthy! We have special protocols in place in the office to keep you safe and minimal waiting. No walk-ins. Anyone who doesn’t have a mask waits in their car until their appointment. Extra sanitation procedures daily and hand sanitizer for everyone!