"To Mask or Not To Mask" -- Research For Stopping a Pandemic

The controversy over wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As most health organizations and medical experts recommend masking to stop the spread of the virus, some people still refuse to follow recommendations, and even directives, that they should mask in public.

I believe in wearing masks to stop the coronavirus. In fact, I consider wearing a mask to be part of my duty as a caring person and a functioning citizen. Allow me to share some findings from Science Direct and Elsevier global analytics to support my opinion.

Research findings suggest that face mask use should be as nearly universal (i.e., nation-wide) as possible and implemented without delay, even if most masks are homemade and of relatively low quality.

A report in the journal Infectious Disease Modelling (sic) concludes this about face masks:

“This measure could contribute greatly to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, with the benefit greatest in conjunction with other non-pharmaceutical interventions that reduce community transmission. Despite uncertainty, the potential for benefit, the lack of obvious harm, and the precautionary principle lead us to strongly recommend as close to universal (homemade, unless medical masks can be used without diverting healthcare supply) mask use by the general public as possible.”

(Steffen E. Eikenberry, Marina Mancuso,Enahoro Iboi, Tin Phan, Keenan Eikenberry, Yang Kuang, Eric Kostelich, Abba B. Gumel. “To mask or not to mask: Modeling the potential for face mask use by the general public to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic

Infectious Disease Modelling, Volume 5, Pages 293-308. 2020,)

Eikenberry et al. found notably, masks are found to be useful with respect to both preventing illness in healthy persons and preventing asymptomatic transmission.

The study's hypothetical mask adoption scenarios, for Washington and New York state, suggest that immediate near universal (80%) adoption of moderately (50%) effective masks could prevent on the order of 17–45% of projected deaths over two months in New York, while decreasing the peak daily death rate by 34–58%, absent other changes in epidemic dynamics.

The authors found even very weak masks (20% effective) can still be useful if the underlying transmission rate is relatively low or decreasing: In Washington, where baseline transmission is much less intense, 80% adoption of such masks could reduce mortality by 24–65% (and peak deaths 15–69%), compared to 2–9% mortality reduction in New York (peak death reduction 9–18%).

Their results suggest use of face masks by the general public is potentially of high value in curtailing community transmission and the burden of the pandemic. And, the community-wide benefits are likely to be greatest when face masks are used in conjunction with other non-pharmaceutical practices (such as social-distancing), and when adoption is nearly universal (nation-wide) and compliance is high.

Other studies confirm community-wide mask wearing may contribute to the control of COVID-19 by reducing the amount of emission of infected saliva and respiratory droplets from individuals with subclinical or mild COVID-19.

(Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng et al. “The role of community-wide wearing of face mask for control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic due to SARS-CoV-2.” Journal of Infection, Volume 81, Issue 1. Pages 107-114. July 2020,

Finally, further studies provide evidence that states in the US mandating use of face masks in public had a greater decline in daily COVID-19 growth rates after issuing these mandates compared to states that did not issue mandates. These effects are observed conditional on other existing social distancing measures and are independent of the CDC recommendation to wear facial covers issued on April 3.

The conclusion is that as countries worldwide and states begin to relax social distancing restrictions and considering the high likelihood of a second COVID-19 wave in the fall/winter, requiring use of face masks in public might help in reducing COVID-19 spread.

Wei Lyu and George L. Wehby. “Community Use Of Face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US.”
Health Affairs. June 16, 2020.)

I will end my support with these conclusions from Howard et al.

“The preponderance of evidence indicates that mask wearing reduces the transmissibility per contact by reducing transmission of infected droplets in both laboratory and clinical contexts. Public mask wearing is most effective at stopping spread of the virus when compliance is high.

“The decreased transmissibility could substantially reduce the death toll and economic impact while the cost of the intervention is low. Thus we recommend the adoption of public cloth mask wearing, as an effective form of source control, in conjunction with existing hygiene, distancing, and contact tracing strategies. We recommend that public officials and governments strongly encourage the use of widespread face masks in public, including the use of appropriate regulation.”

(Howard, J.; Huang, A.; Li, Z.; Tufekci, Z.; Zdimal, V.; van der Westhuizen, H.; von Delft, A.; Price, A.; Fridman, L.; Tang, L.; Tang, V.; Watson, G.L.; Bax, C.E.; Shaikh, R.; Questier, F.; Hernandez, D.; Chu, L.F.; Ramirez, C.M.; Rimoin, A.W. “Face Masks Against COVID-19: An Evidence Review.” Preprints 2020.)

Please, wear your mask. Follow science, not rumors. And, don't cave to discomfort and feelings of your inconvenience. Lives are in the balance.

Send In the Troops -- Trump Invades American Cities

Trump has sent federal “troops” into Portland reportedly under Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf's approval. The troops were supposedly sent to protect "monuments, memorials, and statues" in an response to protests in Portland that have occasionally turned violent.

The law enforcement units in question have appeared in Army-style camouflage with no identification other than a simple "Police" label on their outfits. They have been reported to be three separate units of the Customs and Border Patrol, an agency under the control of the Department of Homeland Security. One is the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), a SWAT-team-style unit that is normally tasked with fighting drug cartels. The other two units involved are called Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue, and a Special Response team.

(Jeff John Roberts. “‘Trump troops’ in U.S. cities: What the law says about

their rights – and yours.” Fortune. July 22, 2020.)

Jeff John Roberts of Fortune reports …

“Skeptics, including former FBI Director James Comey, say President Trump's real purpose in deploying these federal agents is to gin up television images of chaos and conflict—images that can support his claim that Americans need to choose a "law and order" President in November's election.

“Trump critics also note that the recent incidents in Portland are akin to what the President did in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., in early June. On that occasion, Trump used federal agents—including riot control officers from the Bureau of Prisons—to tear-gas peaceful protesters in order to arrange a photo op.”

On July 23, Trump called Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler “pathetic” after the Oregon politician was gassed by federal “troops” while standing among protesters outside a courthouse. Trump said during an interview with Fox News …

“He made a fool out of himself. He wanted to be among the people, so he went into the crowd and they knocked the hell out of him. That was the end of him. So that was pretty pathetic.”

(Brian Niemietz. “Trump mocks Portland mayor who was gassed by federal ‘troops': ‘they knocked the hell out of him.'” New York Daily News. July 24, 2020.)

It is understood Trump can invoke authority under the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows presidents to send troops when “any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy” prevents enforcement of state laws in a manner that deprives residents of that state of their federal constitutional rights.

President Eisenhower did this to desegregate the Little Rock public schools in 1958, as did President George H.W. Bush during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. But the statute requires the president to issue a formal proclamation before troops are dispatched. Trump has issued no such proclamation, nor does he claim that his actions are an exercise of power under the Insurrection Act.

Erwin Chemerinsky, American legal scholar known for his studies of United States constitutional law and federal civil procedure, reports …

“Moreover, the predicate for invoking the Insurrection Act is not met; there is no indication that the situation in Portland (or any of the other cities Trump has earmarked for federal intervention) is preventing enforcement of the law in a way that deprives individuals of their constitutional rights.”

(Erwin Chemerinsky of theOp-Ed: Trump’s troops in Portland are a constitutional outrage.

Los Angeles Times. July 24, 2020.)

Federal law enforcement personnel cannot be used to enforce state and local laws. It’s basic to the Constitution — state and local governments have the police power; federal officers are limited to enforcing federal law.

Kent Greenfield, Boston College law professor specializing in constitutional law, says …

“The president is not the king. The president does not have the ability to require states to enforce their laws in a certain way, or to elbow aside their law enforcement abilities.”

(Jonathan Stempel. “Trump's legal authority to deploy agents to U.S. cities may be limited, experts say.” Reuters. July 21, 2020.)

Greenfield distinguished the current situation from 1957 Little Rock high school situation and the 1962 actions of President John F. Kennedy, who sent federal agents to help integrate the University of Mississippi.

“Those were cases when a state was refusing to enforce federal law, or was hostile to enforcing it,” he said. “You don’t have open rebellion.

Also, Chemerinsky cites Constitutional law …

“The president cannot authorize violations of the First and Fourth Amendments.

“In Portland, it appears that individuals have been arrested who were engaged in peaceful protests and not breaking any law. This upends the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech and freedom of assembly, as does the use of tear gas and projectiles to disperse peaceful protesters. And for the president to use federal law enforcement in a blatantly political way — that earmarking of cities with “liberal Democratic mayors” — also infringes core principles of the First Amendment.

“As to the Fourth Amendment, in news reports, protesters in Portland describe being put into unmarked police cars by officers who did not identify themselves, being detained in the federal building and then released. These are arrests without probable cause, violations of the amendment’s guarantees against unreasonable search and seizure.”

(Erwin Chemerinsky of theOp-Ed: Trump’s troops in Portland are a constitutional outrage.

Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-07-24/donald-trump-portland-border-patrol-constitution. July 24, 2020.)

Trump has said he might deploy agents to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, California, cities controlled by “liberal Democrats.” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said they would sue him if Trump followed through.

While the federal government has a right to protect federal property and a 2002 law details that federal officers can be deployed for "the protection of property owned or occupied by the federal government,” Trump's latest move is a separate operation focused on what he calls “policing violent crime,” rather than protecting federal property. The potential of deploying federal agents to patrol the streets is extremely problematic.

And, what is more disturbing is that Trump uses strong-arm tactics to beef up his law-and-order base – a clearly political move. Using Border Patrol troops to display misguided bravado, Trump, once again, shows he doesn't understand policy and law. He glorifies a show of force with little regard for the Constitution, state laws, and local laws.

“This is the very thing that scared the heck out of the framers of the Constitution. There’s been an over-tendency to cry wolf. Well, this is wolf. This is it.”

– Barry Friedman, a law professor at New York University,
speaking of the situation

Those Most At-Risk In School Reopening

"We shouldn't be complacent and think that if a child contracts coronavirus all will be fine. Chances are all will be fine, but we just don't know. This is particularly true for children who have underlying conditions, such as obesity or lung disease.”

– Elizabeth Cohen, CNN's senior medical correspondent

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that while children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared to adults, children with certain conditions may be at increased risk for severe illness. Children who are medically complex, who have serious genetic, neurologic, metabolic disorders, and with congenital (since birth) heart disease might be at increased risk for severe illness from the virus.

Similar to adults, children with obesity, diabetes, asthma and chronic lung disease, or immunosuppression might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The CDC is investigating a rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19 in children called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). At this time, they do not know what causes MIS-C and who is at increased risk for developing it.

(“People with Certain Medical Conditions.” Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

July 17, 2020.)

The CDC addresses the problem of school reopening and children at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. According to guidelines set by the CDC …

“Some children may be at increased risk of getting COVID-19 or may be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. For these children, parents and caregivers may need to take additional precautions with regard to school re-entry.

“There are more COVID-19 cases reported among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities than those without. People of any age, including children, with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

“Additionally, children who are medically complex, who have neurologic, genetic, metabolic conditions, or who have congenital heart disease might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, compared to other children. Severe illness means that they may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or may even die.”

(“School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians.” Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. July 23, 2020.)

(M.A. Turk, et al. “Intellectual and developmental disability and COVID-19 case-fatality trends: TriNetX analysis. Disability and Health Journal. 2020.)

The CDC says the list of underlying conditions is meant to inform clinicians to help them provide the best care possible for patients, and to inform individuals as to what their level of risk may be so they can make individual decisions about illness prevention. They are learning more about COVID-19 every day. This list is a living document that may be updated at any time, subject to potentially rapid change as the science evolves.

The CDC encourages these actions:

• Give medicines as prescribed for your child’s underlying conditions.
• Make sure that you have at least a 30-day supply of your child’s medicines.
• Call your child’s healthcare provider if you have concerns and to discuss your child’s specific conditions and risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
• Well-child visits and vaccines are still important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay in contact with your child’s healthcare provider and make sure your child is up to date with vaccines to prevent other diseases. Learn more about how to protect yourself and your family during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• If you don’t have a healthcare provider, contact your nearest community health center or health department.

Some officials say the risk of opening schools is actually less to the children themselves than it is to the adults working at the schools, like the teachers, the staff and actually the parents of the students. One new report says roughly one out of every four teachers in the United States, amounting to nearly 1.5 million instructors, have a condition that puts them at a higher risk of developing serious illness from the coronavirus.

Gary Claxton, et al. “How Many Teachers Are at Risk of Serious Illness If Infected with Coronavirus?” Kaiser Family Foundation. July 10, 2020.)

The children have been known to get a whole set of different symptoms. In the United States and the United Kingdom, hospitalized children between ages 2 and 15 had a condition doctors called “multisystem inflammatory syndrome.” The symptoms are similar to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease, which cause inflammation in the walls of blood vessels. In rare cases, it can lead to deadly limitations in blood flow.

Many of the children tested positive for Covid-19 or had its antibodies but they didn't necessarily have typical coronavirus symptoms such as respiratory distress. Their symptoms included a high temperature along with a rash, swollen neck glands, hands and feet, dry cracked lips and redness in both eyes.

Coronavirus causes a wide variety of symptoms in children, according to a study published in an American Academy of Pediatrics journal.

In that study, Dr. Rabia Agha and colleagues from Maimonides Children's General Hospital in Brooklyn studied 22 children with coronavirus. They found most did not have classic symptoms. Fifteen patients had a fever and nine had respiratory symptoms. Two had seizures and two were entirely asymptomatic.

(Faith Karimi. “What we know about coronavirus risks to school age children.”

CNN. July 10, 2020.)

Trump -- Funding Schools and Reopening

As the coronavirus crisis expands, Trump said Tuesday (July 21) that he would "pressure" governors to open schools in time for the beginning of the coming school year. He applied some pressure on Wednesday morning. In a tweet (July 22) in which he accused Democrats, with no evidence, of wanting to keep schools closed for political reasons related to the November election, Trump said he "may cut off funding" if schools are not opened.

“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”

(Donald Trump)

Then, Trump on Thursday (July 23) shifted and acknowledged that some schools may need to delay their reopening this fall as the coronavirus continues to surge. Speaking at a White House news conference, Trump said districts in some virus hot spots “may need to delay reopening for a few weeks.” He said the decision will fall to governors.

Even as he tempered his position, though, Trump insisted that every school should be “actively making preparations to open.” Students need to be in school buildings to prevent learning setbacks, he said, and to access meal programs and mental health services.

Trump on Thursday said he’s asking Congress to provide $105 billion in education funding as part of the next virus relief bill. It’s meant to help schools reduce class sizes, hire teachers, rearrange spaces and provide masks, he said.

But if a local district doesn’t open, Trump said, the money should be steered to parents so they can pursue other education options such as private, charter, religious or home schools.

Facts First: Trump can't unilaterally cut current federal funding for schools. However, he could possibly restrict some recent pandemic relief funding – which would likely be challenged in court – and refuse to sign future legislation for federal grants and bailouts for schools.

Despite the law, the president plays politics with public schools. As the nation’s education leaders are making high-stakes decisions about how to reopen schools this fall during the coronavirus pandemic, they are under tremendous, competing pressures.

Many in charge just do not believe reopening person-to-person is viable. Education Week is tracking and sharing reopening plans of a sample of school districts across the country. As of July 23, 9 of the 15 largest school districts are choosing remote learning only as their back-to-school instructional model, affecting over 2 million students.

In this potentially volatile time, Trump has expressed no concern about the health implications of reopening in person and no support for compromise plans that many districts are considering. He clings to an all-or-nothing opening stance and threatens to withhold funds if he doesn't get his way.

In response to Trump's bullish actions, the School Superintendents Association objected to Washington dictating such decisions, citing Mr. Trump’s past support for local control of schools. “You don’t support local decision making if it’s conditional on only making choices you support,” the organization said in a statement.

(Peter Baker, Erica L. Green and Noah Weiland. “Trump Threatens to Cut Funding if Schools Do Not Fully Reopen.” The New York Times. July 10, 2020.)

The absence of any feasible working plan from the administration came into stark relief during Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' more than 20-minute-long interview with CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union."

Asked repeatedly, DeVos would not say that schools should follow basic reopening guidelines, which had been authored by the CDC and previously derided by Trump as "very tough and expensive."

(Greg Krieg. “'Normally, people don't play with kids' lives': Trump's push to reopen schools becomes another partisan fight.” CNN. July 14, 2020.)

DeVos's is hinting that she might seek to divert federal dollars to parents whose school districts do not open fully, or at all, in the fall is a signal that the administration could seek to use the crisis as cover to put a more lasting dent into public schooling.

"It's the move towards privatization," said Jamaal Bowman, the public school principal who was recently nominated for a House seat in New York. “It’s driven by market-based ideology and the so-called, quote-unquote ‘choice movement.’ So when we talk about vouchers and money moving with kids at the whim of the parents, that’s what we’re talking about. And it’s an example of disaster capitalism within the public education sector.”

(John Nichols. “Ayanna Pressley to Betsy DeVos: ‘I Wouldn’t Trust You to Care for a House Plant Let Alone My Child.” The Nation. July 14, 2020.)

All in all, Trump has polarized the debate about reopening schools. Behind to Biden in the polls, he now seeks to use the issue to get votes. He frames the fight to reopen as his “concern for kids' education” versus the cautious, shut-it-down Democrats.

"Normally, people don't play with kids' lives. They'll play with adults' lives, but they don't play with kids' lives.”

– Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers

Ohio Teachers -- Concerns About Reopening

As schools make plans for reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, so many important considerations come into play. Considering all scenarios for infection and spread of the virus, teachers are presented with daunting tasks to assure safe standards. And, what will happen if a teacher or group of teachers is exposed to someone with COVID-19 – exposure at school or elsewhere? How will this disrupt a district's plans for a successful return?

Could such an exposure require many (all?) teachers to quarantine and thus cripple the number of staff and eventually end person-to-person instruction?

What about teachers who are forced to self-quarantine? If teachers are exposed to someone with COVID-19, will they have to use their sick days to self-quarantine for those two weeks?

Being an ex-teacher, I wondered about these questions. Sick leave accumulated over time was a precious commodity for me and a safety net to assure the health of my students and my family. I researched for answers and found this information at the Ohio Education Association site at ohea.org.

Until December 31, 2020, the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) requires school districts to provide 80 hours of paid sick leave (or the equivalent of 10 days of pay for part-time) to employees who need to take leave from work for certain specified reasons related to COVID-19. This benefit is above any unused sick leave that an employee may have accrued under a collective bargaining agreement or Ohio law. The COVID-19 reasons for EPSLA use include the following:

• Full pay (up to $511 per day) if the employee is subject to a government quarantine order or has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine; or,
• Full pay (up to $511 per day) if the employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking medical attention; or,
• Two-thirds the employee’s rate of pay (up to $200 per day) if the employee is caring for his or her son or daughter whose school or place of care is closed or whose child care provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19; or,
• Two-thirds the employee’s rate of pay (up to $200 per day) if the employee is caring for someone who is subject to a government quarantine order or has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine.

Until December 31, 2020 the CARES Act also allows an employee to use FMLA in the event an employee is caring for his or her son or daughter whose school or place of care is closed or whose child care provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. The total leave allowed under FMLA is 12 weeks, including any leave that may have already been taken. The first two weeks are unpaid, though the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act or other available paid leave can be used during this time. The remaining ten weeks will be paid at two-thirds the employee’s rate of pay (up to $200 per day).

The U.S. Department of Labor has clarified that if you are quarantined, seeking medical attention, or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, the “traditional” FMLA provisions apply to those situations. Therefore, you are NOT entitled to any Federally required compensation after use of the EPSLA in order to receive compensation you will need to use your personal sick leave, personal leave, or other contractually provided paid leave benefit.

Reopening and Teachers With High Risks

What about teachers with compromised health or those who live with family members who may be especially at risk for infection? Before reopening, they will have to decide if school administrators and policies can protect them and their students from catching the coronavirus.

Arthur Ehrlich, a partner with Chicago law firm Goldman and Ehrlich, who specializes in employment law, says an individual’s personal situation is key when determining their potential. Ehrlich says …

“If you’re a high-risk group—a heart condition or diabetes—something that would put them in a more severe position if they get coronavirus, they have a little more leeway in terms of legal rights but their situation can usually be accommodated with remote learning. The provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act still apply, especially to a coronavirus situation if that teacher has an underlying potential disability. If there is an ability to work remotely but the school district won’t allow it, that could come down to an ADA violation.”

(Marco Buscaglia. “Imperfect attendance: Will teachers take leave if coronavirus cases

continue to climb?” Chicago Tribune. July 07, 2020.)

Reopening schools is far from merely unlocking the doors and allowing students and teachers to resume educational activities. If a significant number of students, teachers, or other staff members contact COVID-19, the best plans for person-to-person education may prove ineffective.

The Brookings Institution reports there is significant liability for school districts already. Many have not been able to fulfill the IEP requirements under IDEA. Although Brookings has been asking U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for flexibility on this matter, she has refused to do so. Initially, some governors had indicated that the safest approach would be to provide no services to any student. Superintendents rejected that and provided services to as many students as they could safely and remotely.

Brookings says …

“There is liability in providing inadequate services, or no services at all, and there will be liability if children or adults get sick in a school that has opened. Would we rather be sued for providing inadequate services or for the death of students and staff? It’s a lose-lose situation either way, but superintendents will do their very best to provide adequate services in a safe and healthy environment.”

(Daniel A. Domenech, Michael Hansen, Heather J. Hough, and Emiliana Vegas. “Reopening schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Your questions, our answers.”

Brookings Institution. June 3, 2020.)

School Plans -- What Happens When a Person is COVID-19 Positive?

If and when Scioto County schools reopen, the major concern for all of us is what will happen when a student, a teacher, or another staff member tests positive for COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Education's “Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts” (2020) includes plans for such an unfortunate event. Of course, these precautions are paramount to reopening and establishing person-to-person education in our local schools.

One preventative step includes recommendations that schools should, as much as possible, prohibit visitors from entering school buildings. Visitations should be limited to those enrolling new students or for emergency situations.

In addition, temperature checks and symptom checks should be required for all visitors. In cases where schools and districts have partnerships with community organizations, health care providers and local government agencies that provide additional educational and wraparound services to students, staff of such partners should be allowed into buildings following the same precautions as school personnel.

As a special note, the planning guide acknowledges there are many adults who are not employed by a school district but who remain part of routine school life, such as student teachers, college faculty observing student teachers, delivery personnel, etc. These individuals should be treated as school personnel.

A Positive Case

If a student, staff or volunteer begins to show COVID-19 symptoms or has a temperature above 100 degrees at school, the person “must” be placed in a separate room away from other students, given a face covering, and monitored by a staff member maintaining physical distancing and wearing personal protective equipment. Schools should then contact the local health department.

Any staff member exhibiting symptoms while working in the school also should “continue to wear a face mask and self-isolate in a separate room, away from other staff and students.” Students and staff exhibiting symptoms should go home as soon as possible.

The people must inform the school of any exposure to the virus. Pursuant to Ohio Department of Health guidelines, families, caregivers and staff should notify the school if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or if they, or any members of their households, have been diagnosed with or presumed to have COVID-19. They also should notify the school if they are quarantined.

Personnel and students with known exposure to someone with diagnosed or presumed COVID-19 “must” self-quarantine at home for 14 days. Personnel or students who travel to a location with known community spread may choose to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

Given the likelihood of increased absences due to illness or quarantine, school policies should be adjusted so as not to penalize students and personnel for required quarantine period(s). Remote learning plans should be considered for all students who are absent for a significant time period and able to continue engaging in learning. Even more significant shifting of instructional approaches most likely will be necessary when a significant number of individuals are required to be quarantined (classroom, school-building or district levels).

Schools and districts should work with their local health departments on COVID-19 surveillance activities by tracking attendance and notifying their local health departments of significant increases in absenteeism.

Personnel and students with confirmed or presumed COVID-19 “must meet conditions prescribed by the Ohio Department of Health and their local health departments prior to returning to school.” These conditions may change frequently, and schools and districts should maintain frequent communication with their local health departments regarding these guidelines.

A Flare-up

It is expected there will be “flare-ups” of COVID-19 cases as determined by the Ohio Department of Health or local health departments. Flare-ups will need to be addressed by implementing additional measures beyond ongoing precautions. In some cases, entire school buildings may need to close for purposes of cleaning and sanitizing or in recognition of high levels of student or staff illness.

In the event of a flare-up, districts should follow additional precautions set forth by the Ohio Department of Health and their local health departments. These precautions may change frequently, and schools and districts should maintain frequent communication with their local health departments regarding these guidelines.

Each Scioto school district is required to conform to the state plan for reopening. While it is much easier to make plans than to implement them, local districts should be transparent and committed to enforcing their procedures for addressing positive cases of COVID-19. Parents, caretakers, and all other community members must be a part of a district's successful plan. After all, the staff and students from schools come home every day and integrate with the community as a whole. Vulnerable people outside the school setting will undoubtedly be increasingly exposed to the virus when a flare-up occurs.

The “Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts” should be accessed for much more detailed information concerning Ohio schools reopening in 2020. Click here: http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Reset-and-Restart/Reset-Restart-Guide.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

Plans For Reopening -- Ohio, Scioto Schools

As we consider reopening local schools, I believe all people should read the “Reset and Restart Education Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts” by the Ohio Department of Education. It details the plans for opening schools in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Access the planning guide here: http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Reset-and-Restart/Reset-Restart-Guide.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

This document is designed to help schools and their partners understand guidelines and considerations for reopening school buildings during the continued presence of COVID-19 in a way that protects the health and safety of vulnerable members of school communities. Its intention is to spur local-level, partnership-based discussions and decision-making that will result in locally developed Reset and Restart Education Plans.

The guide also stresses that reopening plans should be designed to complement other community mitigation strategies, minimize disruption to teaching and learning, and protect students and staff from social stigma and discrimination; therefore, ongoing collaboration and communication among community stakeholders is critical to ensuring a meaningful year for students in which they remain engaged in learning.

We here in Scioto County recognize youth as our most valuable resource. Our schools are such a vital part of life in our rural communities; however, we must vow never to endanger children. Every young life must be protected, as they are vulnerable to the great harm presented by the virus.

Operating Assumptions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ohio Department of Health indicate that COVID-19 will be present at the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. Also, as has been the experience over the past several months, conditions can change rapidly. District and school planning will need to contemplate various contingencies. As a result, this planning guide operates under the following assumptions:

• Ohio’s education system must be nimble, flexible and responsive to ensure the health and safety of all students and adults.

• Schools will need to have the capacity to operate in various modes at different times and, sometimes, with minimum advance notice.

• When schools are operating with students in the building, they will need to adhere to health and safety guidelines set forth by the Ohio Department of Health and local health departments. Guidelines may change as circumstances change, which most likely should lead to course corrections throughout the year.

• The traditional school experience as it was known prior to the onset of the pandemic will be different, as will many of the day-to-day practices of schools.

The Reset and Restart Guide

The guide presents what it calls “A Student’s Daily Journey” to emphasize the routine of students. To best understand the various health and safety needs of our students, it asks us to “walk in a pair of one student’s shoes” and journey through a typical day. Here is that journey …

“This includes waking up in the morning, riding on a school bus to the physical school building, waiting to enter the building, entering the building, waiting inside the building in designated areas, attending adult supervised care visiting lockers, getting to class, taking into account any and all movement throughout the day (changing classes, using the restroom, lunch/cafeteria [breakfast and lunch], gym/physical education, recess, etc.), leaving school and returning home.

(“Reset and Restart Education Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts.” Ohio Department of Education. 2020.))

Although our understanding of COVID-19 continues to evolve, one thing that has remained constant is that using multiple layers of protection to protect against catching the virus is key. On June 27, the Lancet, a renowned medical journal, published a systematic review and metaanalysis of available medical information related the effectiveness of physical distancing, face masks and eye protection to prevent person-toperson spread of the virus.

The review confirmed that these nonpharmaceutical or non-medicine-based interventions play a key role in limiting transmission of the virus:

• Physical or social distancing

• Face mask

• Eye protection

• Good hand hygiene

The Lancet review concluded alone, each of these things offer some protection. However, as they are layered together, they provide an increasingly stronger barrier of defense against the virus.

(Derek K Chu, MD, Prof Elie A Akl, MD, Stephanie Duda, MSc, Karla Solo, Msc, Sally Yaacoub, MPH, Prof Holger J Schünemann, MD, et al. “Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The Lancet. June 01, 2020.)

Is it feasible that schools in our area should even consider face-to-face reopening during COVID-19 spikes? The degree to which schools comply with effective strategies to reduce infection is paramount to any consideration of reopening Scioto County schools. 

The Ohio School Boards Association has a page dedicated to the reopening of our schools titled “OHIO SCHOOL DISTRICT RESTART PLANS.” You can keep abreast of developments there. Click here: https://www.ohioschoolboards.org/ohio-school-district-restart-plans

Scioto County Schools -- Reopening?

As the time nears for reopening public schools, Ohio educational officials and Scioto County superintendents face important decisions – How and in what manner should staff and children be safely reintroduced to their classrooms in the middle of a raging COVID-19 pandemic? Of course, no decision is foolproof and all answers to these difficult questions raise many public concerns.

What to do? We all know opening schools will benefit families beyond providing education, including by supplying child care, school services, meals, and other family supports. And, we all realize without in-person instruction, schools risk children falling behind academically and exacerbating educational inequities.

However …

Let's talk about some very real considerations that pose huge risks.

Some of the personnel and students in the school systems are immuno-compromised, or have a weakened immune system. For many schools social distancing seems nearly impossible, and even if children could be separated at distance desks, how about “hand-over-hand” learning required to work on lessons? Those at greatest risk for infection would surely have to stay at home and communicate with distance learning. Strain on teachers will increase.

How many students – especially young grade school pupils – don't know how to cough or sneeze into their arms? Also, if students are required to wash their hands and wear masks, how many are simply going to reject these safety standards over and over simply because of sensory issues? These are valid concerns as school must not only distance but also minimize contact with shared surfaces and increase regular surface cleaning. The goal for schools would be to drive as much of the risk down as they can – admittedly, a far from perfect strategy.

Another daunting task for person-to-person learning is limiting large gatherings of students, such as during assemblies, in the cafeteria, and overcrowding at school entrances. School lunches seem especially troubling as many Scioto schools feature lunch times of 30 minutes (or less). Children now barely have time to get their meals and eat.

Surely, staggering congregation times and rearranging public areas will be necessary. Some health experts say “cohorting,” when a group of 10 students or less stay with the same staff as much as possible, is a promising strategy for physical distancing. 

Also, we cannot forget the large numbers of Scioto students who have long commutes on buses. Will mask wearing and distancing be enforced? Safety would seem to demand significant modifications to the bus schedule. District leaders will have to consider how to put fewer students on buses at once, as well as how to adequately sanitize the buses and protect the drivers.

One important group of students in Scioto schools are those with disabilities. They may have more difficulty with the social and emotional aspects of transitioning out of and back into the school setting. Children with special healthcare needs have conditions that must be met on a case-to-case basis.

According to the American Federation of Teachers, as the number of children with special healthcare needs in public schools has increased, the facilities and conditions under which health-related procedures must be performed are still often woefully inadequate. Putting these students back into face-to-face settings will require careful planning and implementation.

(Randi Weingarten. “The Medically Fragile Child.” American Federation of Teachers. 2009.)

Most of the push to return to in-person instruction rests on the assumption that COVID-19 isn’t especially dangerous for children, and the benefits outweigh the risks. However, given how little time researchers have had to investigate the novel coronavirus and its recent mutation, the science in this area is not yet settled.

And, of course, there is the increased cost of returning to school. The National Academy of Sciences Engineering Medicine report “Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities” (2020) estimates the cost of implementing COVID-19 precautions will be very high, totaling approximately $1.8 million for a school district with eight school buildings and around 3,200 students.

These high costs could lead to funding shortfalls. The report concludes: “While the size of the funding shortfall will depend on how well-resourced a school district is, many districts will be unable to afford implementing the entire suite of mitigation measures, potentially leaving students and staff in those districts at greater risk of infection.”

Juliette Kayyem, former Department of Homeland Security official and author of Security Mom, says …

“Schools do not have a simple on-off switch. To reopen schools will not just take a lot of money. Classroom layouts, buildings, policies, schedules, extracurricular activities, teacher and staff assignments, and even curricula must all be altered to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission

“Stakeholders—including teachers’ unions, scared parents, and the colleges and universities that will someday enroll a portion of the 50 million students in the nation’s public K–12 schools—all have interests, some not easily avoided or ignored by a governor.”

(Juliette Kayyem. “Reopening Schools Was Just an Afterthought.” The Atlantic. July 06, 2020.)

Kayyem concludes: “The federal government and the states have no firm plans for restarting school in August and September because they had no such plans in February and March; public officials simply didn’t classify education as a crucial form of infrastructure in need of protection.”

Hopefully, at the end of this debate over Scioto County schools reopening, any error in judgment by those in charge will be on the side of safety. If we just trust our children and grandchildren to the odds of infection, we fail as caretakers. Local schools must address reopening in detail and they must do it now. The risks are enormous and public education should be held to all the new and necessary standards of safety – not one child should face an unnecessary risk.

“Reopening schools cannot be considered in isolation – what happens outside of schools is as important as what happens inside of schools. The most important step we can take to reopen schools this fall is to come together to reduce spread of the virus in our communities and statewide.”

– Lacy Fehrenbach, Washington DOH deputy secretary of health

Here Are the Guidelines For Reopening of K-12 Schools in Ohio -- Understand the Reality

It is July 16, 2020, and the debate over reopening schools in Ohio rages. Most schools in the state are supposed to return to operations in August. However, in the grips of the deadly COVID-19 virus, the safety of staff and students is paramount in any decision to establish a new, safer version of person-to-person learning. While everyone acknowledges that attending classes is extremely important for students, new spikes in infections pose risks to those in educational facilities across the state.

On July 2, Governor DeWine announced new guidance for resuming school in the fall. He said …

"We know that each school system, and perhaps each school building, will likely look different in the fall. We also know that Ohio has a long history of local control and that school administrators and teachers know their schools best.

"Working together and consulting with educators and other health officials, we have developed a set of guidelines, backed by science, that each school should follow when developing their reopening plans."

(“COVID-19 Update: School Guidelines, Public Health Advisory System.”

governor.ohio.gov. July 02, 2020.)

DeWine and his team worked with teachers, school staff, and medical workers experts to come up with the guidelines to reopen while keeping children across Ohio safe and providing them with a good education.

State officials are urging schools to use social distancing, vigilantly assess symptoms, provide hand sanitizer, and thoroughly clean school spaces, but the guidance leaves many details up to the districts. Each school is asked to follow the guidelines while creating their own reopening plans for the fall. DeWine said …

"So balancing local control, state interest in protecting our kids, and making sure our kids get educated.”

(Jess Mador. “Coronavirus In Ohio: DeWine Announces Guidelines For Reopening Schools.” WOSU. July 02, 2020.)

The governor also said he is working to provide funding for schools to obtain items they need to purchase to follow guidelines, such as disinfectants, sanitizers, and personal protective equipment.

The Ohio Department of Education has two documents, one focusing on education and the other focusing on health, to provide resources when planning the reopening.

Scott DiMauro, President of the Ohio Education Association, said he was pleased there is finally a statewide plan, but he said he was hoping it would contain additional state mandates for social distancing, health checks and require students in third grade and up to wear masks. DiMauro said …

“We’re a little disappointed that there aren’t more mandates in terms of what the state is requiring. The fact that local school officials still have discretion in terms of which requirements to follow and which ones don’t, other than the mask requirement, is a disappointment.

“Students third grade and above ought to be expected to wear masks, let’s not have that as a suggestion, let’s have that as a requirement so that we’re not leaving that up to local politics.”

(Camryn Justice and Joe Pagonakis. “Gov. Mike DeWine announces guidelines for K-12 schools in Ohio to reopen.” news5cleveland.com. July 02, 2020.)

DiMauro added …

“While we appreciate the consideration given to the importance of social distancing, health checks, and sanitation protocols in the governor’s plan, it lacks a means of enforcement, even when a county is in the highest tier of the alert system.”

Dr. Claudia Hoyen, Director of Infection Control at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, told News 5 parents should attempt to get their children comfortable with wearing a mask weeks before the start of the school year, and keep a close watch for COVID-19 symptoms.

So, what are exactly the Guidelines For Reopening of K-12 Schools in Ohio? This is what I could find (with the understanding that things often change depending upon circumstances and political wranglings). The guidelines include the following:

* Vigilantly assess symptoms – Students, caregivers and staff are asked to monitor their health before departing for school. Those with temperatures over 100 degrees are asked to stay home. Students and staff who develop symptoms at school will be sent home. Schools will need to work with their local health departments to trace cases and conduct testing.

* Wash and sanitize hands to prevent spread – Schools must provide time for students and staff to regularly wash hands. Hand washing and sanitation stations are to be set up around each school.

* Thoroughly clean and sanitize school environment to limit spread on shared surfaces – Schools will be required to regularly disinfect the school and high touch areas to mitigate the spread of the virus.

* Practice social distancing – Schools should strive to maintain 6-feet of distance between students and staff in classrooms, lunchrooms, school busses, and other school settings when possible to limit exposure to COVID-19. Some schools may stagger lunch and class schedules

* Implement face covering policy – Every school must develop a face-covering policy. Staff, like other business sectors that have reopened in the state, will be required to wear a mask or face covering. When face coverings are not practical, staff may opt to use face shields.

The state also strongly recommends, but is not mandating, that children in third grade or higher should wear a mask. DeWine said that schools should do everything they can to reduce the stigma for those students who are unable to wear a mask. Some schools may suggest younger students also wear masks, DeWine said.

On a national level, President Donald Trump, a fierce advocate for a full fall reopening, appeared to go to war with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose guidelines he deemed too strict. The CDC ultimately did not significantly revise its stance.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement reading …

"Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools."

The Ohio public must now search its collective souls on the best course of action. Should schools reopen next month with these proposed guidelines, or should they even reopen at all at this uncertain time? Parents, teachers, students, other school personnel – all of these people are directly affected by the decision. It is a gut-wrenching commitment with real consequences. Shut down or reopen? It seems impossible we have come to this, yet the pandemic pays no mind in its deadly destruction.

The one certainty I know is that a single child needlessly killed by COVID-19 during a reopening is unforgivable. No amount of reasoning by the state concerning the need for education would excuse such a tragedy. Any risk of deadly infection in that case cannot be assumed to be the responsibility of the parents or guardians. The risk lies squarely on the district and the State of Ohio. Imagine that COVID fatality is your loved one. Who would you blame?

Recovery Scioto -- Giving Thugs Chance After Chance

When the general public is under attack from criminal elements, the response to stop the flow of crime must be swift and decisive to have the greatest positive effect. Left unhindered, those involved in criminal activities will wreak havoc as they force entire communities into submission. This capitulation occurs in Scioto County, and I believe it is being aided and abetted by certain elements of the recovery and rehabilitation community.

The U.S. Department of Justice lists three types of offenses:

1. Crimes Against Persons – such as assault, battery, domestic violence, rape, and murder
2. Crimes Against Property – such as vandalism, shoplifting, robbery, bribery, burglary, and arson
3. Crimes Against Society – such as gambling, prostitution, drug violations, and weapon law violations

As a concerned and lawful citizen, my duty is to prevent crimes against people, against their property, and against the society of my fellow man. However, of late, to most of us in Scioto County, these obligations – and I can fully understand why – have largely dwindled to maintaining close family concerns with a general indifference to society as a whole. Maintaining personal obligations to the nuclear family, such as insuring their health and safety, have become so stressful and time consuming that many people ignore their commitment to stop crimes against society.

People still living here, especially those in what are considered to be the middle and lower economic classes, have become acclimated to “living among them” – the element that perpetrates crime. Well-meaning people pay lip service to change. They say “Something ought to be done” or “I wish someone would clean this up,” but they do not take on their own obligations to the community to become a part of the solution.

Scioto County is a depressed Appalachian locality crippled by the opioid epidemic and all of the misdeeds and offenses perpetrated by those criminals who operate within that drug system. Hope should anchor itself to efforts to better society by getting tough on repeat offenders – those who employ drugs and crime to drag down local communities. It is time to deny the “third, fourth, and fifth chances” and criminals' carte blanche access to our communities Instead, we must stand tall as community members to fight repeat offenders, and that includes stopping any complicity with recovery and rehab services.

I have no doubt that one major problem in the Scioto recovery community is that good and honest efforts to rehabilitate clients often shield the criminal element. When this occurs, it is society that suffers. Not only does recovery have a duty to clients, but also it has an even greater duty to protect the public from harm. No one should have to suffer the crimes perpetrated by those who abuse recovery and rehab.

A Bureau of Justice report released in 2017 revealed that 21% of sentenced people in state prisons and local jails are incarcerated for crimes committed to obtain drugs or money for drugs. Almost 40% of people locked up for property crimes and 14% of those incarcerated for violent crimes reported that they had committed their most serious offense for drug-related reasons.

(Jennifer Bronson, Ph.D., and Jessica Stroop, BJS Statisticians Stephanie Zimmer and Marcus Berzofsky, Dr.P.H., RTI International. “Drug Use, Dependence, and Abuse Among State Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2007-2009.” U.S. Department of Justice. June 2017.)

Some research shows that an estimated 65% percent of the United States prison population has an active substance abuse disorder. Another 20% percent did not meet the official criteria for an SUD, but were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their crime.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (2013) found as offenders are arrested for more offenses, the likelihood that they have only drug crimes or only non-drug crimes as prior offenses decreases. Criminals with a substantial history of arrests are more likely to have a combination of drug and non-drug crimes in their background.

A series of panel data analyses were conducted among more than 5,000 jurisdictions nationwide from 1995 to 2002 to assess the impact of drug court implementation grants on UCR Part I felony offenses. Consistent with prior findings, drug court implementation grants were associated with net increases in vehicle theft, burglary, larceny, and some violent offenses.

David R. Lilly wrote in “Drug Courts and Community Crime Rates: A Nationwide Analysis of Jurisdiction-Level Outcomes,” Journal of Criminology (2013) …

“Drug court procedures should be designed to more quickly identify noncompliant individuals and ensure that they do not remain unsupervised and unaccountable in the community for extended periods of time (including those who are removed from the program).

“Moreover, the legal authority of drug court judges to incarcerate noncompliant individuals should be clearly specified so that persons who are diverted prior to trial for burglary, vehicle theft, or other offenses cannot find a loophole in the process. Alternatively, drug courts could be limited strictly to postconviction individuals.”

Another study that involved random assignment of eligible individuals noted that the average drug court participant had twelve prior arrests. Taken together, these studies suggest that drug court participants were not solely comprised of minor and infrequent offenders, but rather that a substantial portion were involved in serious nondrug-related felonies prior to admission.

(D. C. Gottfredson, B. W. Kearley, and S. D. Bushway, “Substance use, drug treatment, and crime: an examination of intra-individual variation in a drug court population,” Journal of Drug Issues, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 601–630, 2008.)

The challenge of delivering treatment requires the cooperation and coordination of two essentially different cultures: the criminal justice system organized to punish the offender and protect society and the drug abuse treatment systems organized to help the addicted individual.

Addressing addiction as a disease does not remove the responsibility of the individual. Rather it highlights the personal responsibility of the addicted person to seek and adhere to drug treatment and that of society to ensure that such treatment is available and based on scientific evidence.

A drug abuse treatment system that harbors, shelters, and abets repeat criminal offenders who terrorize and pillage Scioto neighborhoods should be reformed. Those who work in the treatment programs should never connive to condone or to allow criminal activity. In a despondent area like Scioto County, one helping hand aids the other dirty fist. Frankly, the public is sick of the collaboration. They want the fear, the crime, and the desperation to end.

The only way to end the grip of addiction and crime in Scioto County is to apply public pressure and stand up against those who repeat offenses. You can sense a confident thug attitude in many who believe the present arrangement protects their criminal behaviors. These offenders use and abuse the systems of treatment and justice over and over and over. This is going to continue until a significant group of citizens organize to effect needed change.