Delta Variant and what it means for Schools

Ishita Ghosh, Contributing Researcher

The Delta Variant and What it Means for Schools

The Delta Variant 

The Covid -19 pandemic that started in early 2020 is not yet over. A major concern right now is a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, which was first identified in India in December 2020. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delta variant is the predominant variant in the US right now and accounts for the majority of the new Covid-19 cases. 

Recently published data from the CDC confirms that the Delta variant is more infectious and transmissible when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals. This has resulted in children being more susceptible to the Delta variant than the previous Covid-19 strains. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics as of August 26, nearly 4.8 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. The risk factor is increased by the fact that children under 12 are currently not eligible for the vaccine. 

What does this mean for schools?

The surge in Delta variant cases comes at a time when schools are going back to in-person classes. While some school officials and parents are worried about the risk factor of children being exposed to the new variant, others are concerned about online learning causing learning gaps and affecting the mental health of children and are in favor of in-person lessons. 

What has made school reopening challenging is the fact that there has been a lack of consensus over the use of masks. An August poll by Data for Progress and Vox shows deeply politicized the mask mandate has become. Elected officials in several states have made mask mandates illegal, leaving the decision to the parents. Some schools have made masks optional. Added to this, not all adults have got vaccinated and this may include some parents or school staff.

Health experts believe that adults who have not gotten vaccinated are contributing to the surge in cases among adults and children alike, especially in places with lower vaccination rates. Recently, California public health officials reported an elementary school teacher, who was not vaccinated, taking off her mask for a short time to read to students. Incidentally, she tested positive for the coronavirus in two days, and by then, students seated in the rows closest to her desk had been infected. The outbreak spread to other classes, siblings, and parents, including some who were fully vaccinated. 

Some Guidelines For Schools 

Weighing the cost benefits of school reopening, experts feel that while there is always a chance of getting Covid -19 at school, there is also the risk of children being adversely affected by learning gaps and lack of social interactions by staying out of school. Schools are thus choosing to reopen with full or partial restrictions in place.

Minimizing the risk of Covid-19 in schools depends on protocols like social distancing and wearing masks inside classrooms, as well as eligible school staff, parents, and children above twelve being vaccinated. Here are some of the important guidelines given by the CDC for the safe reopening of schools and preventing the spread of Covid-19 among the school community:

  • Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status is recommended 

  • Schools should maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully reopen while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as screening testing

  • Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing, and respiratory etiquette staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe

  • Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.

  • Many schools serve children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for vaccination at this time. Therefore, this guidance emphasizes implementing layered prevention strategies (e.g., using multiple prevention strategies together consistently) to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, and other members of their households and support in-person learning.

  • Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies (e.g., physical distancing, screening testing).

References

  1. American Academy of Paediatrics. Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report. 

https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  1. Cha, Ariana Eunjung. “Elementary School Outbreak Shows Delta’s Risks for Unvaccinated Children - The Washington Post.” The Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/08/28/delta-variant-unvaccinated-children-elementary-schools/.Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  2. “Delta Variant: What We Know About the Science  | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Feb. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/delta-variant.html.Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  3. Eunjung Cha, Ariana. “A Calif. Elementary School Teacher Took off Her Mask for a Read-Aloud. Within Days, Half Her Class Was Positive for Delta.” The Washington Post. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  4. “Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools  | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 Aug. 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html.Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  5. “School Mask Tracker: Who Is and Isn’t Loosening the Rules.” District Administration, 3 Sept. 2021, https://districtadministration.com/track-school-mask-rules-requirements-state-by-state/.

  6. “---.” District Administration, 3 Sept. 2021, https://districtadministration.com/track-school-mask-rules-requirements-state-by-state/.

Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  1. TANNER, LINDSEY. Record Delta Wave Hits Kids, Raises Fear as US Schools Open. 2021. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.

  2. Vox. Data For Progress. https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/8/dfp-vox-return-to-school-tabs.pdf. Accessed 4 Sept. 2021.



Paul Privateer