Houston Chronicle by Cayla Harris and Jacob Carpenter Dec. 5, 2020
As COVID-19 cases have risen dramatically in Texas and across the country, there is one place where the coronavirus seems to spread less than others: the classroom.
While Texas public school districts report about 41,000 students and 24,600 staff members testing positive since the start of the school year — equal to slightly less than 2 percent of those on campuses, according to state estimates — health experts said only a small share of those cases stem from in-classroom transmission.
In interviews this week, health officials from across the state described seeing “minimal,†“low†and “very, very little†spread in classrooms where students and staff are following safety recommendations. They attributed cases primarily to transmission occurring outside of schools, as well as during extracurricular activities, though it is difficult to pin down exactly where the virus is transmitted.
“In some of the schools we’ve observed where the kids can reliably stay six feet apart, can reliably wear masks, then the transmission rates appear to be very low,†said Maria Rivera, the co-leader of Harris County Public Health’s school advisory group. “Where we have seen in-classroom transmission become a problem is when the classrooms become crowded and it’s hard or impossible to keep the kids six feet apart, and when the masking may not be enforced.â€
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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus/article/COVID-spread-remains-minimal-in-Texas-schools-15777418.php
