U.S. schools in suburbs, small cities reopening without COVID spike; big cities up next

U.S. schools in suburbs, small cities reopening without COVID spike; big cities up next U.S. schools from kindergarten to high school have avoided a spike in COVID-19 cases, early data show, but medical experts say the real test is coming as students in large densely-populated cities such as New York and Miami return to classrooms. Deena Beasley U.S.

(Reuters) - U.S. schools from kindergarten to high school have avoided a spike in COVID-19 cases, early data show, but medical experts say the real test is coming as students in large densely-populated cities such as New York and Miami return to classrooms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week said more than 270,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported in children aged 5-17 since March. Cases in school-age children ticked slightly higher in mid-September as more schools reopened, but remains well below the peak set in mid-July.

Over 700 primary, middle and high schools that have at least partially reopened, reported that 0.07% of students and 0.14% of staff had a confirmed coronavirus infection in the first half of September, according to data collected by Brown University bit.ly/3kWpwnJ.

While the Brown sample is a fraction of the United States, and national statistics are scarce, a study by Switzerland's Insights for Education of 191 countries found reopening schools here is not linked to an increase in COVID-19 rates.

“There is starting to be some reassuring data that when you put in place the right measures - and have control of community spread ... you can open schools safely,” said Dr. Nathaniel Beers, co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ school opening guidelines.

Tougher days may be ahead.

Attendance so far has been mostly voluntary and reopenings concentrated in suburbs and smaller cities. Medical experts said additional challenges for big cities include space constraints, older buildings with painted-shut windows, inadequate air circulation, little outdoor space and limited funding for efforts such as tracking down contacts of those infected. ...