Weekly Insights
What church leaders need to know about young people, education, and Covid-19 (part deux)
Quick Hit:
Covid-19 related hospitalizations are on the rise over the past few weeks.
Why it matters:
As many young people are going back to school, this late-summer surge could become a more significant phenomenon. Though many public health officials affirm that the increased hospitalizations are statistically small and that most people experience mild symptoms, these trends show that the virus is not done with us yet.
What can we do?
Research from Pew (February, 2022) showed that 90% of parents of K-12 students wanted schools to provide either a mixture of in-person and online instruction or fully in-person instruction. We can assume that this disposition grew as cases receded over the last 18 months, with many parents citing academic regression and declining mental health as chief reasons for why they wanted their kids back in school.
Recent research from the CDC points to a possible solution that might avoid further shutdowns of educational institutions (and churches!): clean the air. Schools with better ventilation and air filtration saw about half the number of Covid-19 cases compared to schools without updated filtration and ventilation.
Try it:
While mask mandates and school closures are unlikely over the next few months, church leaders can encourage local leaders to apply for government grants to improve ventilation in their schools. This would make the schools safer for students and faculty alike, while allowing students and teachers to continue their work safely amidst other air quality crises like wildfire smoke and air pollution.