Navigating The Pandemic: COVID-19 Forces School Districts To Cancel In-person Classes

Three school districts around the U.S. have cancelled in-person learning this week due to Covidand other illnesses. Two Kentucky school districts announced in-person cancellations for this week, citing increased illness among staff and students.?

All Magoffin County Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday. According to school administrators, attendance has been quite low in the last week, and the closure was caused by a combination of illnesses, including Covidand influenza.?

The Lee County School District has announced illness-related closures for Tuesday and Wednesday and non-traditional instruction days for Thursday and Friday. Officials claimed the closure was spurred by an increase in respiratory diseases over the last several days and a considerable decline in attendance.??

Covid Forces Schools To Cancel In-person Classes

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Scott Lockard, public health director for the Kentucky River District Health Department, which serves Lee County and six other counties in eastern Kentucky, said that since the pandemic began, illnesses have generally increased when schools reopen and people return to large gatherings. "

There was a lot of illness in the county, and the absentee rate rose to the point where the school system felt it justified closing," Lockard told?USA TODAY.?

So far, lab test results from eastern Kentucky have verified positive Covid results but no influenza infections. On the other hand, Lockard emphasized that respiratory infections, in general, are a concern, as symptoms frequently overlap with Covid.

Furthermore, testing is less widely available; many have turned to home tests. Thus, lab results often emphasise the severity of sickness. According to ABC News, the Runge Independent School District in southern Texas serves 195 kids and has scheduled a weeklong closure due to illness.?

Currently, ten of the district's 43 staff members have tested positive for symptoms, according to the district's online Covid tracker.?

How Covid-19 Numbers Are Doing Across The Country??

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention data on cases is several weeks out of date and no longer records Covidinfections at the national level. The majority of Americans take at-home tests and do not report the results.?

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However, on Monday, more than a quarter of wastewater testing locations showed a significant increase in virus levels over the previous two weeks. The CDC has reported 1.1 million deaths and 6.3 million hospitalisations due to Covid.

In the most recent data week, the agency observed a 21.4% spike in deaths and a 21.6% increase in hospital admissions.?

According to the CDC, hospital admissions due to the coronavirus are expected to rise in the coming weeks.? ??

What You Need To Know About Protecting Yourself??

While some used to brag about battling the flu to go to work, Lockard says it's no longer a source of pride. He stated that social isolation and remaining at home when symptoms occur is an effective prophylactic approach.?

Washing your hands frequently, using hand sanitiser, and covering your mouth while coughing are precautions you can take to protect yourself and others. Lockard also advised staying up to date on Covid and influenza immunizations.?

RSV vaccinations are also available for select groups.??

Across The Country, Test Scores Are Down?

Earlier this year, USA TODAY reported on how chronic school absenteeism hampered learning even when massive pandemic-related closures were lifted.?

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The debate over attendance comes as kids face new learning problems following lengthy shutdowns. According to results announced in May, nearly all eighth graders in the country dropped behind in U.S. history and civics on the National Assessment for Educational Progress, better known as the Nation's Report Card.?

Last year compared to 2018. In the same year, reading and math performance among fourth and eighth students fell across the country.? ?

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