Dangers and Fears of opening up school in the middle of a pandemic

By now, most parents are itching to get their kids out of the house and back in school. For many parents, having their children at school is essential in order for them to work. Likewise, teachers want to return to work and do their job. While the numbers for COVID-19 have not been as astronomical as initially predicted, there are still some reasons to hesitate when it comes to opening up a school in the middle of a pandemic.

The personal injury that can arise from exposing a whole staff to COVID-19 may wind up creating many lawsuits.

COVID-19 Spreads Quickly and Easily

COVID-19 is highly contagious. It spreads through respiratory droplets in the air and on surfaces. Researchers estimate that for every person that contracts the virus, they can spread it to two to three other people.

Although only a small amount of children tend to get severe virus symptoms, children may be the vectors to spread the virus to more susceptible individuals. In a study done in South Korea, the highest COVID-19 rate 18.6% came from households with a school-aged index patient age 10-19.

Children have interactions not only with the people in their households but also with the adults who work at the schools. They may be able to transmit to janitors, bus drivers, instructional assistants, cafeteria workers, and administrators. Opening up schools during the middle of the pandemic would continue to allow the virus to easily spread through the community as these workers interact with children and then their families.

Many Teachers are in the High-Risk Category

Many teachers are in the high-risk category for COVID-19. According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, one in 4 teachers in the U.S. are at increased risk for serious illness if they become infected with COVID-19. Age and health conditions are the two main factors that put teachers in the high-risk category.

While anyone can get COVID-19, adults over 55 are the most severely impacted. This age group accounts for 92 percent of the deaths from COVID-19. About 18  percent of all teachers are above the age of 55.

As people get older they tend to get additional health conditions. Many teachers also have a health condition that puts them in the high-risk category. The conditions that create a higher risk for complications from COVID-19 include diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, a body mass index of greater than 40, moderate or severe asthma.

Masks Impair Teaching and Learning

Teachers must communicate their lessons to students effectively. This requires the students to listen and focus on what the teacher is saying. When a mask is worn instructions and information can be muffled. The visual of the teacher’s face is covered up.

Mask wearing creates a serious communication barrier for students with hearing impairments. Many of these students rely on lip-reading in addition to communication devices to learn. For these students muffled directions won’t be understood.

Students may not be able to read the facial cues that the teacher is giving while disciplining students. A stern look from a teacher can usually get children to behave and pay attention to the lesson. When half of the face is covered up, it may be difficult to discern if the teacher is upset with the student’s behavior or not.

Assessing the students with masks on will be difficult. Masks impair a teacher’s ability to hear and understand students. Many students may use the mask to create disruptions and talk to their friends without getting noticed by their teachers. This can put the class into chaos and take away from focused learning.

Young Children Don’t Social Distance

Social distancing will be very difficult with a full classroom of up to 30 students. There are challenges to teaching with social distancing even with classrooms at half capacity. Many classrooms just don’t have the space to have the children’s desks six feet apart. Schools that have classrooms in trailers won’t even have enough space for half of the students.

Elementary age students struggle with the concept of 6 feet. They are used to being close to their friends when playing on the playground. Children have a tendency to congregate together closely.

Even when children understand the reason for social distancing, they may not follow the rules. They have been used to going to school and playing in close proximity with their friends without any consequence. Children will push limits and boundaries whenever they can.

Social distancing makes group projects nearly impossible. A six-foot distance makes it difficult to share ideas with your classmates. They also won’t be able to share school supplies for projects. Group work will need to be discontinued.

Ask an Experienced Attorney Any Questions

If your school district is opening during these uncertain times, teachers and school employees may be at undue risk. The inability to work due to the illness that was being passed around at school is a huge concern.

An accident lawyer can provide you with advice to help you get compensated for school injuries that come from getting infected during a pandemic.

A lawyer will work to preserve and collect evidence to represent you during your claim. Contact Us for a free consultation to learn how an attorney’s experience could work for you during the pandemic.

Charles Bennett

Charles Bennett is a Plaintiff’s trial attorney and trial consultant based in Dallas, Texas. His law firm, Bennett Injury Law, is a personal injury plaintiff’s law firm that specializes in 18-Wheeler and Commercial crashes, Wrongful Death, Traumatic Brain Damage, Motor Vehicle Crashes, and Workplace Injuries. Cases Charles has consulted on in 2019 have won over $35M in verdicts.