TRANSMISSION OF THE CORONAVIRUS,
IN THE WORDS OF ONE WISCONSIN
PHYSICIAN, QUOTE, "OVERALL
SCHOOLS JUST REALLY AREN'T THE
PROBLEM."
THOSE WORDS FROM PEDIATRICIAN
AMY FALK, WHO CO-AUTHORIZED A
STUDY THAT BACKS UP HERE CLAIM.
IN NOVEMBER 17 WOOD COUNTY
SCHOOLS WERE MONITORED FOR
CORONAVIRUS.
191 CASES WERE IDENTIFIED AMONG
STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS
DURING THAT TIME.
ONLY SEVEN CASES WERE CONNECTED
TO IN-SCHOOL SPREAD.
DR. AMY FALK JOINS US NOW AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO THE UPSHOT OF THIS 13-WEEK
STUDY IS THAT IT IS SAFE FOR
STUDENTS AND STAFF TO BE BACK IN
SCHOOL?
>> I THINK OBVIOUSLY THAT'S
GOING TO MEAN SOMETHING
DIFFERENT FOR EVERY COMMUNITY.
THE SCHOOLS AROUND HERE, THE 17
WE FOLLOWED, HAD A LOT OF
MITIGATION MEASURES.
THERE WAS DISTANCING TO THE BEST
OF THEIR ABILITY.
THERE WAS UNIVERSAL MASKING.
THERE WAS INCREASED SANITATION
AND VENTILATION.
I THINK OBVIOUSLY THERE'S MANY
SCHOOLS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT
FROM OUR POPULATION.
THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'VE BEEN
FOLLOWING ARE QUITE LARGE AND
ARE SHOWING THAT IT CAN BE DONE
WELL.
>> HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO
MAINTAIN THOSE KIND OF
MITIGATION MEASURES WITHIN A
SCHOOL SETTING?
>> I THINK -- I MEAN, SOME OF
THE THINGS LIKE MASKING, THE
KIDS HAVE JUST REALLY -- OF ALL
AGES, KINDERGARTEN TO 12TH GRADE
HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY ARE
UNWAVERING IN THEIR MASKING
ABILITY AND PATIENCE WITH THAT.
SO THAT'S BECOME PART OF THEIR
NORM.
FOR SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS,
SANITATION MEASURES AND THOSE
THINGS HAVE BEEN TAKEN
FINANCIALLY ON BY THE SCHOOLS
WHICH HAS BEEN AN UNDERTAKING.
I THINK ORCH OVERALL EVERYONE SETTLED
INTO THIS NEW NORMAL TO MAKE IT
AS SAFE AS THEY CAN.
>> THE MITIGATION ALSO INCLUDED
KIND OF KEEPING CHILDREN IN
PODS, RIGHT, AS THOUGH THEY WERE
ALMOST LITTLE FAMILY GROUPS.
>> YEAH.
THAT DIFFERED AMONG EACH OF THE
SCHOOLS.
WE DIDN'T IMPOSE ANY SORT OF --
WE JUST WANTED TO HELP THEM SEE
WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
WE NEVER EXPECTED IT TO GET AS
FAR AS IT DID BUT WE REALIZED WE
HAD SOMETHING TO DO SAY.
THE ELEMENTARY, ONE 1ST FIRST
GRADE ARE TOGETHER.
THEY DON'T MIX AT RECESS OR
LUNCH.
WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO KIND OF BE
A LITTLE CLOSER AND NOT STAY
WITH THE STRICT SIX FEET APART.
WHEN ONE KID IN THE COHORT GETS
SICK WITH COVID-19, THEY ALL GO
OUT.
AND THE OLDER KIDS AS WELL,
THERE WERE MANY THAT WERE IN THE
TIGHT TBROOPS.
>> SO YOU SPOKE TO THIS A LITTLE
BIT, BUT COULD THOSE METHODS BE
REPLICATED ACROSS THE BOARD IN
ALL WISCONSIN SCHOOLS, DO YOU
THINK?
>> I THINK THAT'S A TOUGH
QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, INTERESTINGLY I WAS
SPEAKING WITH A LOT OF THE
PRINCIPALS INVOLVED AND SOME OF
THE CHANGES TO THE HVAC SYSTEMS
ARE RUNNING MORE CYCLES BEFORE
AND AFTER SCHOOL, NOT CHANGING
OUT WHOLE SYSTEMS TO HELP WITH
FRESH AIR.
THE SANITATION STUFF, ALL THAT'S
BEEN PRETTY WELL AVAILABLE.
SO I THINK THE BIGGEST PART IS
THE DISTANCING.
A LOT OF SCHOOLS ARE HUNG UP ON
MAKE SURE EVERYBODY STAYS SIX
FEET APART, WHERE THERE'S MANY
PLACES AND SOME EMERGING DATA
THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE END
ALL/BE ALL.
IF YOU THINK OF MITIGATION LIKE
SWISS CHEESE, WHERE THERE'S
HOLES WITH EVERY DIFFERENT THING
YOU DO, THE MASKING, THE
DISTANCING.
BUT IF YOU LAYER THEM TOGETHER,
THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THE MOST
SUCCESS.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST
PIECE TO LOOK AT NEXT.
>> AS A PEDIATRICIAN, HOW
IMPORTANT DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS
FOR CHILDREN TO BE BACK IN
SCHOOL OR IN SCHOOL?
>> I THINK IT IS OF UTMOST
IMPORTANT FOR.
WE'RE HAVING GROWING DATA THAT
DEPRESSION RATES ARE SKY-HIGH.
IT'S NOT THE SAME VIRTUAL NO
MATTER HOW GREAT OF A FAMILY OR
HOW MANY RESOURCES.
IT'S NOT THE SAME.
SUICIDE RATES IN OUR COUNTRY IN
TEENS ARE SKYROCKETING.
WE TRY TO GET THEM BACK IN
BEFORE OTHER THINGS ARE
LIBERALIZED.
WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE CHILDREN
AND THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A
GOOD EDUCATION AND SOCIAL
STRUCTURE.
>> WITH ALL THE MITIGATION AND
MANDATES AROUND THEM, IS IT
POSSIBLE THAT CHILDREN ARE
ACTUALLY SAFER IN A SCHOOL
SETTING THAN NOT BEING IN SCHOOL
SCHOOL?
>> I'VE POSTULATED THIS.
IF YOU CAN ACCOUNT FOR
SOMEBODY'S WHEREABOUTS FOR 36 TO
40 HOURS A WEEK AND THEY'RE
MASKED, HAND WASHED, FED, WITH
RESPONSIBLE ADULTS, THAT IS
SUPERIOR TO SITTING AT HOME WITH
LARGER AND LARGER SOCIAL GROUPS
AS PARENTS HAVE TO GO TO WORK,
SO THEY BRING THEIR CHILDREN
PLACES.
KIDS ARE PLAYING WITH LARGER
GROUPS PERHAPS THAN THEY WOULD
AT SCHOOL.
I THINK KIDS ARE SAFER IN SCHOOL
THAN OUT.
>> DR. AMY FAL