NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A group of Tennessee doctors is warning that reopening schools while the coronavirus is spreading rapidly through the state is “insane" and "irresponsible."
Dr. Amy Gordon Bono is a primary care physician with a master's degree in public health. She says that rushing to reopen businesses caused the current spike in infections and rushing to reopen schools will do the same.
“Our state is now experiencing the worst we have ever encountered during the pandemic and opening the schools under these circumstances is insane and irresponsible,” said Dr. Bono. “We are asking our teachers to do their jobs, when our leaders have failed to theirs.”
Bono is part of ProtectMyCare, a group of more than 2,000 physicians who previously urged Gov. Bill Lee to issue a stay-at-home order. The group continues to urge Lee to issue a statewide mask mandate and to let science guide policy with regard to the virus.
They say rushing to reopen schools without getting COVID-19 under control will bring avoidable increases in hospitalizations and deaths, similar to that of the most recent spike. However, they say a possible third spike in the fall the increase will be avoidable hospitalizations and deaths among children, teachers and their families.
Another member of the coalition, Dr. Nick Cote is President of a large Tennessee medical practice and also has a daughter teaching in Rutherford County schools. He said he just wants to protect families like his.
“I am also husband to a wife whose father is currently in the ICU due to complications with COVID he got at work. He got COVID at work because they don’t have a mask mandate. We’re not sure he’s going to make it," Cote said. “I don’t want what’s happening in my family to happen to yours. This is totally avoidable. You shouldn’t have to know that your loved one is in the ICU and taking it one day at a time, not knowing minute by minute if you’re going to get the call that they’ve died."
The group of doctors listed the following five steps they say need to be taken before schools can safely reopen.
- Less than 10 new cases per 100,000 persons per day for at least 14 days in a row. You want low incidence AND stability. A major challenge is the silent spread of COVID-19 through populations. The virus can be transmitted in the 2-3 days before symptoms begin (the presymptomatic window) and can be spread even by infected persons who never develop symptoms at all (asymptomatic people). This is not a pandemic that can be controlled simply by isolating symptomatic people.
- Expanded contact tracing and regular reporting to inform school reopening. Parents, school staff need to know that people coming in contact with COVID are isolating, and not endangering children, teachers or families. If contact tracers are behind on notifying those exposed to COVID then people don’t know if they have been in contact with COVID and should isolate. If contact tracing is keeping pace we can be more confident those exposed to COVID are isolating, and not in schools endangering others.
- Ensure rapid and regular testing. A test today only shows whether you are infected today, and that does nothing to determine whether you get infected tomorrow. If testing is behind or slow then people don’t know if they should isolate and contact tracers will struggle to notify exposed people before they endanger others.
- Mask and distancing requirements with penalties for people who endanger others. When people refuse to wear masks or stay apart it threatens everyone else. When people ignore speed limits they are fined for endangering others. In this health crisis not wearing a mask and not staying apart endangers the lives of others. Parents need to know that people around their children (staff, other children, visitors) are required to wear masks and keep 6 feet apart or face penalties for endangering their children and family.
- Have accountability for employers and people who endanger others: Require employers to have safety measures in place to protect workers and the public and a way to hold them accountable when they don’t. If an employer is endangering the public or their workers, workers need a way to hold them accountable. Educators must have safe working environments and employers or parents who routinely endanger them must have consequences that protect the safety of our teachers.
