With input from Dr Monica Vasudev

1504: Operational Strategy for Schools, New Evidence on Physical Distance in Classrooms

The US CDC had recently updated K–12 school guidance in light of new evidence on physical distance between students in classrooms.The agency has recommended that with universal masking, students should be at least 3 feet apart in classrooms.

• In elementary schools, the agency recommends that students should maintain a distance of at least 3 feet in classrooms where mask use is universal. This is irrespective of the level of community transmission - low, moderate, substantial, or high.
• In middle and high schools, it has been recommended that students should maintain at least a 3 feet distance in classrooms where mask use is universal and in communities where transmission is low, moderate, or substantial.
• In middle school students and high school students, the agency recommends that students should maintain a distance of at least 6 feet in communities with high transmission, if it is not possible to cohot.Cohorting refers to keeping groups of students together with the same peers and staff all through the school day in order to limit the risk for spread of infection. Older students are more likely to be exposed to the virus and spread it compared to younger children.

The agency; however, recommends at least 6 feet of distance in the following:

o   Between adults in the school building and between adults and students.

o   In common areas, such as lobbies and auditoriums.

o   When it is not possible to wear a mask, such as while eating.

o   Activities involving increased exhalation, such as singing, shouting, band practice, sports, etc. Such activities should be done outdoors or in large, well-ventilated spaces.

o   In community settings outside the classroom.

Cohorting, also called podding, is one of the strategies that can be employed by schools to limit mixing between students and staff as well as to curb the spread of the virus. A cohort or pod refers to a particular group that stays together through the school day, or during any pre-specified period of time, in order to have limited or no interaction between groups. Such a practice restricts cross-over of students and teachers and can also help achieve the following:

• Limit exposure or transmission of COVID-19
• Limit the number of people that touch shared surfaces
• Help with contact tracing if a person has COVID-19
• Facilitate targeted testing, quarantine, or isolation of a single cohort rather than the entire school if a positive case or cluster of cases is identified.

Implementation of cohorting can vary. Schools may keep cohorts of students together in one particular room and the teachers may alternate between rooms, or they may follow a hybrid approach. This means that while some cohorts of students and teachers are involved in in-person learning, others are assigned to online learning. (CDC)

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA