It’s normal for school-aged kids to come home with a cough, fever or sore throat, but a return to school during the coronavirus pandemic is far from normal.
“We’ve been asked multiple times, ‘Should we send our children back to school?’ It is not a simple yes or no answer,” said Dr. Heather Gilliam, a pediatrician at Erlanger Children’s Hospital. “Does your child have medical issues? Does your child need to be in school for that interaction? Do they thrive off of that? It’s definitely multifactorial.”
Hamilton County is set to be the largest school district in Tennessee to resume in-person learning Wednesday. Meanwhile in Georgia, some schools have been open since at least July 30, with several across the region already experiencing outbreaks.
Chattooga County Schools was one of the first districts in the nation to reopen amid the pandemic. After less than two weeks of school, seven students tested positive for COVID-19. The district has not implemented a face mask requirement but is strongly encouraging people to wear them.
When a student tests positive, the local health department is immediately contacted and the contact tracing process begins, according to school officials.