Sunday School 2/14/21: Extra Credit

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new CDC Director, was in several classrooms Sunday, including the one down the hall on the right, Fox News Sunday, where she chatted with Chris Wallace, and on the left, CNN's SOTU, where Jake Tapper was asking the questions.  I'll look at those interviews and our chances of reopening schools, starting with her conversation with Tapper.

In red zones, CDC advocates for a hybrid model for elementary school, because K-5 kids transmit the virus less, and it's "really essential" to have them in the classroom. For older kids, virtual learning - or if social distancing is possible, a hybrid model - is preferred.

When specifically asked for the science on why kids can't return to in-person learning "tomorrow," if schools are following the guidelines, she offered none. Instead, she talked about how we "really need to do the hard work," including universal masking, strict distancing, restricting disease transmission (e.g., "cohorting or podding"), etc.

Tapper reminded her of the impacts on kids when they're not in school, and that all the experts have been saying we have to get schools open, and yet, "we're taking the safety steps, and we're not opening schools." Her response? In the studies that have shown masking, distancing, and de-densification work, 92% of students wore masks - and we're at around 60% who do so reliably. 

But the real point is to make sure that the science is consistent with our guidance, which is consistent to say, until we can ensure that we have all those measures happening, that there was -- schools wouldn't be safe.

I would have asked how kids are supposed to learn to reliably mask when they never leave their homes. Tapper, though, was more professional.

...I'm just really confused. It seems to me like you're saying, the schools are safe to open as long as everybody takes these steps, but not everybody is taking these steps; therefore, we're not going to open the schools? Do I have that right?

It took 181 words to not say the one word that would have answered the question: yes. 

Regarding vaccinating teachers, she noted they're in priority group 1B, and said for the 1.5 million who are high-risk, as well as for high-risk students, CDC recommends virtual activities. She's a "strong advocate" for them being vaccinated but it's not a reopening prerequisite.

I had to agree with Tapper when he said he felt "a little dispirited" by the conversation.

... I had high hopes that schools would be able to resume in person learning, because so many scientists and health officials, including you and Dr. Fauci and others, had been talking about the science supports opening the schools as much as possible.

He mentioned teachers being concerned, and their unions "pushing back on this," but asking for 100% compliance seems unachievable.

And that makes me feel like, boy, I don't know if the schools are ever going to open until everybody's vaccinated.

Walensky repeated that when over 90% of people mask, you can open schools safely, adding that "this is directly related to how much disease is in the community," and that it was up to all of us to get the rates down so schools can reopen.

I'll treat her conversation with Chris Wallace as a 'speed round,' hitting on three questions answered and three not answered. 

• The new CDC guidance allow even schools in areas of high community spread to open, under certain circumstances.
• Some mitigation measures "are hard to do," such as diagnostic testing and contact tracing being done within 48 hours of a contact, leading to schools not opening.
• Maybe not having the science, data, and guidance to open schools safely contributed to schools being closed to in-person instruction for extended periods of time.

Walensky didn't answer a few key questions, in my opinion.

• Whether she's ever speaking in "her personal capacity" when she's speaking as CDC director, something that press secretary Jen Psaki suggested after Walensky said that schools could reopen without vaccinating all teachers; 
• the implication that the administration's trying to lessen their burden on getting schools opened for in-person instruction within the first 100 days, by saying "at least one day a week" was considered 'open.' Wallace said nearly 65% of kids are in schools meeting that very low threshold now; and
• whether we really need another $130B for schools, given that only $4B of the previously allocated $68B has been spent.

I looked at her chats on MTP and Face the Nation, and I didn't end up feeling any better. I go back to how Tapper set the stage for his interview, quoting Walensky's statement that "schools should be the last thing to close and the first thing to open." I can't imagine being a parent watching any of her interviews and coming away with a sense of confidence that things will be back to normal any time soon.

See you around campus.