Louisiana State Superintendent Says Schools Aren’t Superspreaders

After some fighting, and even small protests, the 2020-2021 school year got underway this fall covered in COVID restrictions.

But it wasn't all fighting to keep kids out of school, there were actually many leading doctors, and educators, who were pushing for schools to open on time, and in-person. Those leading the charge include Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation's top doctors and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, as well as Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were even experts who pushed against the idea of "hybrid learning", where students spent only a few days a week with in-person learning, and the other days doing virtual learning online. While Dr. Fauci also warned against schools shutting down and sending kids home after they started school.

All of these experts appear to have been correct.

Louisiana State School Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley told the Louisiana Radio Network that of the more than 800,000 students in Louisiana, there have only been 4,400 positive cases. Which is less than 1% of students in the state.

Because of these numbers, Dr. Brumley asked Governor John Bel Edwards to keep Louisiana schools in their "Phase 3" guidelines, while the rest of the state moved back to a "Modified Phase 2". That request was granted, and Louisiana schools will be able to remain under those "Phase 3" guidelines...but Dr. Brumley might be hoping for more too.

The biggest issue that schools are dealing with when it comes to COVID-19 are the quarantine requirements. Dr. Brumley says that right now a single positive case in a school can require up to 50 students to be placed into 14 day at home quarantines. Recently Dr. Brumley requested changes to those rules from the state, but that request was denied. However that could change soon, because the CDC just dropped their quarantine guidance from 14 days, to just 10 days.

Whether or not the state moves the school quarantine guideline to come in line with the new CDC guideline, its at least good to know that schools are not the COVID superspreaders that some believed they would be.