We have been in quarantine for 263 days. 263 days of the same continuous routine of waking up, checking Instagram and going back to sleep. After spending close to nine months with strained relationships and scarce amounts of social contact, it’s no wonder that students wish to return to the school environment. However, this raises the question: Should students be returning to school with the pandemic continuing to loom over our heads? In my opinion, older students should abstain from in-person school for the time being because of the notable rise in cases and risk of spread to families.
Since the fall, a multitude of schools in our surrounding area have been debating the issue of in-person school. After extended conversations, a few made a concerted effort to return. However, even with the continued attempt to social distance and wear masks, the number of coronavirus cases has risen exponentially, with 7,164 cases reported on November 14. After observing the consequences demonstrated by other schools, it becomes clear that even with set guidelines and precautions, it’s essentially impossible to contain anything with the current state of the virus. With the majority of coronavirus cases showing little to no symptoms, for students to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the best decision is to continue teaching virtually.
Additionally, the return back to tangible school results in families of students to be affected, leading to more exposure of the virus to people who are at high risk. To clarify, according to the CDC, those who are categorized as high-risk groups include people who are 60 years or older or those who have underlying medical conditions. These high-risk groups are substantially more susceptible to developing serious illnesses from coronavirus. Therefore, with teens easily able to contract and spread the disease, the deadly impacts do not only affect those directly entering the school, but also the entire community surrounding it.
Though virtual school is extremely difficult and stressful, the negative consequences of the death and disease that is bound to occur from school in person are overwhelmingly more dangerous than online teaching. However, if we continue to take safety measures at home, stay quarantined and wear masks, then we’ll be back quickly, and most importantly, safely.