The question in this post is Should should students wear masks at school? But the underlying question is, Should schools open for students to return to face-to-face classes?

Of course, everyone should wear a mask when out in public, especially a crowded space such as a school. I write this knowing that people I know will return to public schools and colleges. I was a high school teacher and a college for professor for nearly 40 years. If I were still teaching, I would join with my like minded colleagues and support online teaching until we get a handle on the coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 Surge in Georgia

Folks like to use the term COVID-10 hot spots. Hot spots are areas where the virus is surging. And there are places, especially in the southeast and the west where cases are spiking. However, if we take a careful look at a state such as Georgia, we might want to think about hot spots in different terms. Ed Johnson has been analyzing coronavirus data for months. He publishes a report each day about the virus’ spread in Georgia. He uses process behavior charts which enable him to distinguish between uncommon or unusual rates of spread vs common or usual rates of spread. As of yesterday, there were only two of Georgia’s 159 counties that have reached unusual levels and speed of spread.

What about the other 157 counties. Johnson reports that any one county’s rate is no longer significantly different than any other county’s spread. He puts it this way:

In essence, the whole State of Georgia has now “caught fire,” as regards confirmed COVID-19 cases per 10K persons.  Accordingly, it is now pointless to talk about “hot spots” and such in this regard.  (Another aspect of COVID-19 level of spread and speed of spread to consider, but goes unaddressed here, is in regards to confirmed COVID-19 cases per unit of land area, say, per ten square miles.)

Ed Johnson, At first, COVID-19 embers. Now, raging fire, statewide [E-mail to the author]. (2020, August 4).

Johnson makes another assertion that is important as the state of Georgia (and other states, as well) makes plans to open schools to face-to-face or online learning. The question that administrators and teachers, as well as other officials need to consider and answer: Are schools safe places for students to interact with each other and their teachers? The fact that Johnson makes clear is that not only is COVID-19 spreading in all counties, the rate of spread is accelerating. Figure 2 shows the stark reality of the status of COVID-19 in Georgia. Earlier this year I questioned whether Georgia was out of its mind opening up. The data suggests it was.

Let’s Use Sound Science

Given the data shown in Figures 1 and 2, the answer should be obvious. But it’s not that simple. The CDC has stated that sending kids back to school poses low risks to school-aged children. However, in that same statement, the CDC tells us that only areas with low community transmission is the risk low. Not only is the transmission of the virus high across Georgia, but we do not know how susceptible children and teens are to this virus. Each day we hear of new cases of children getting the virus. The first death of a child in Georgia was reported this week.

Earlier this week, Paulding County High School suspended and then reversed it suspension of a student who posted photos of a crowded school hallway. The student, Hannah Watters was concerned that the CDC guidelines for school openings were not being followed. She said that her actions were “good and necessary trouble.” Her photos showed not only a crowded hallway, but most students weren’t wearing face coverings.

The CDC recommends face coverings for students. Most students were not wearing masks in the photos posted on Twitter by the Paulding High student. This is a serious problem. Of all of the mitigation strategies that we have against the virus, covering your face is likely the most effective. Face coverings protect you and others from respiratory droplets that are projected from a sneeze, cough, or when talking.

Aerosols

Finally, the World Health Organization acknowledged that there is mounting scientific evidence of aerosol transmission of COVID-19, especially indoors. Of particular concern is that some studies have shown that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing. They are expelled in micro-droplets that are small enough to remain aloft at distances of 3 to 6 feet from an infected individual.

Indoor, crowded spaces are perfect environments for coronavirus spread. Jose-Luis Jimenez, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder has studied aerosol transmission of small particles that can suspend in air for quite some time.

There are studies that show that COVID-19 is largely transmitted via the airborne route. One research study analyzed the effect of wearing or not wearing face coverings. They found that using face coverings reduced infection by over 78,000 in Italy from April 6 to May 9 and over 66,000 in New York City from April 17 to May 9. They also have found that social distancing by itself is insufficient as a protective measure.

Summary

Their research is summarized in this way:

We conclude that wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent inter human transmission, and this inexpensive practice, in conjunction with simultaneous social distancing, quarantine, and contact tracing, represents the most likely fighting opportunity to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. Our work also highlights the fact that sound science is essential in decision-making for the current and future public health pandemics.

Zhang, R., Li, Y., Zhang, A., Wang, Y., & Molina, M. (2020, June 30). Identifying airborne transmission as the dominant route for the spread of COVID-19. Retrieved August 07, 2020, from https://www.pnas.org/content/117/26/14857

Given the data presented in this post, the evidence supports not opening schools yet. Until we get the rate of spread down, and keep it there, we have no business sending kids into crowded school buildings. And, when and if we do, they all should be required to wear face coverings.