CDC’s Statement On Opening Schools Is Not Science…It’s A Blog Post
This “paper” has dealt a serious blow to the CDC’s credibility
I have read many papers by the CDC. They are full of science; they are sophisticated, and they don’t mince words. I have published more than a dozen scientific papers myself. I know what a scientific paper is. This latest guidance from the CDC on opening schools is not a scientific paper. It is a blog post.
I know firsthand the anguish over whether to start school next month. Not only am I a doctor who is taking care of COVID-19 patients firsthand, but I am also a parent of school-aged kids. I know that e-learning has tremendous challenges, and it is not the perfect solution for many, many children. I could see it in my own children. I get it.
In addition, it is important to note that many of the suggestions about how to make in-person schools safer made in the packet released by the CDC are useful. Even some epidemiologists tweeted in favor of the suggestions:
That said, the statement released on the CDC’s website, this “paper” they called it, is a serious and frightening departure from the high standard to which I, as a physician, have become accustomed. This “paper” was laughable if was not a sad embarrassment.
What was most concerning was how the health risks to children were downplayed:
The best available evidence indicates that COVID-19 poses relatively low risks to school-aged children. Children appear to be at lower risk for contracting COVID-19 compared to adults. To put this in perspective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July 17, 2020, the United States reported that children and adolescents under 18 years old account for under 7 percent of COVID-19 cases and less than 0.1 percent of COVID-19-related deaths…Additionally, some children with certain underlying medical conditions, however, are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.*
