Doctor Is In by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
It’s been what, eight, nine months now? Of course, I’m talking about the pandemic. The one that has led to the death of close to 1.3 million people, with about over 238,000 of them coming from the United States (as of this writing).
The coronavirus has shut down the world. And you know that’s not an exaggeration. The virus has affected virtually everyone on the planet in one way or the other. The economy of nations took, and is still taking, a hit, travel plans were binned, sports came to a standstill, and our focus today, education, has changed over the last few months.
It started with total lockdown, then governments of nations all over the world became more flexible and eased lockdown restrictions, causing many schools to reach some sort of middle ground between operating remotely and in-person. Eventually, schools opened fully in many parts of the world, and, of course, on the premise that students follow COVID-19 guidelines.
The tricky part about reopening schools is how easy the virus can be transmitted among kids and teenagers. I mean, have you ever been to a kindergarten class before? There are lots of spitting and runny noses. In simple terms, bodily fluids aren’t particularly hard to find in schools, especially in lower grades. However, no one knows the exact time a cure will be developed, and schools cannot just remain shut. Speaking of which, there’s good news. A coronavirus vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, has proven to be 90% effective. In fact, that’s not just good news; it’s great news. Sorry for the digression, but I just had to mention it.
Back to what we were discussing. Education officers and health officials also know how problematic an outbreak of the coronavirus will be in schools, so reopening guidelines are understandably strict. Many countries in the world have reopened for in-person learning. Majority of the countries to fully reopen schools have a relatively low number of daily coronavirus cases. The infection rate has also steadied and reduced in many of those countries, unlike in the US where… you know what, I’d rather not dampen your mood with the US now. We’ll get there later.
Many Asian countries, like South Korea and Vietnam, reopened schools as far back as May. Others, like Sri Lanka, followed suit in July. Right now, schools in many Asian countries are open in some sort of way. Countries like The Philippines are open but only for remote learning. Everything is done virtually there. Even though India is one of the hotspots of the virus, some schools are still open, albeit from 9 am to 12 pm. Students in open schools have to wear masks, socially distance, and follow other coronavirus guidelines.
Across Europe, many schools have already reopened. Schools in countries like Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Russia, Spain, Hungary, Italy, etc. are open. It is worth noting, though, that in many regions of these countries, learning is remote. There are certainly plenty of online lectures in European countries. And in some countries, like the UK, where cases keep increasing, nationwide restrictions have also affected schools reopening.
The cases in Africa are far less than in other parts of the world. Take, for example, Nigeria, with a population of about 200 million. The average daily cases over the last week is 166. That’s the daily COVID-19 deaths in some countries. Some scientists attribute the age and climate of African countries to low cases. With that said, it comes as very little surprise that many African countries have reopened schools.
Like Brazil, many South American countries are very careful about reopening schools because the situation there is also very delicate. Many high school classes in Argentina take place outdoors in large open spaces, with students socially distanced and masked.
Now, to the US. Well, what can I say? The US was once the epicenter of the virus. We have close to 240,000 deaths. And the numbers just keep increasing. Like, we are nine months into the pandemic, and we are recording record daily cases and deaths. That’s disheartening. New Jersey, some days ago, hit a six-month high in cases.
This comes as very bad news because many schools were already open or planning to resume fully. Now, many counties and districts, like Cherry Hill, Westfield, Keyport, Phillipsburg, Passaic County, have shelved reopening plans for the time being. Some schools have gone virtual, while some are operating in some sort of hybrid model, where learning is not entirely virtual.
For schools that have not gone virtual, NJ has banned interstate sporting events. Schools within the state are still free to play each other, but not from other states. Other interstate tournaments and events between schools, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, have also been banned. NJ schools are obviously trying their best to control the virus and, at the same time, continue normal school activities. According to a poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University, 68% of people that participated in the poll believed the schools have done a good or very good job.
Let’s hope the coronavirus vaccine is ready soon. However, pending that time, let’s wear a mask, socially distance, and wash our hands regularly. The finish line is near. For the first time in nine months, I can say we are close. We are very close. Stay safe.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
· https://www.washington post.com/education/2020/10/ 29/what-school-looks-like-nowstriking-pictures-around-world/
· https://abc7ny.com/amp/rising-cases-in-new-jersey-covid-quarantine-list-states-onjersey%27s/7050569/
· https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-new-jersey-philmurphy-schools/ 2548813/?amp
· https://www.njspotlight. com/2020/10/nj-schools-more-in-person-despite-nj-covid-19uptick/amp/
· https://newyork.cbslocal. com/2020/10/22/surging-coronavirus-cases-prompt-boonton-n-jschools-to-go-virtual/amp/
· https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/11/coronavirus-updates-nj-indoor-dining-curfewmore-schools-go-remote-pfizer-vaccine-what-you-need-to-know-nov-102020.html?outputType=amp
· https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-africa-54300855
