A new study has brought promising news for parents anxious about sending kids back to school during the pandemic. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long advocated for six feet of social distancing between students and teachers, the study found kids may be able to safely abide by a different set of rules. Just three feet of distance may be sufficient to stop the spread of the virus, as long as other safety measures are in place.
Researchers analyzed COVID-19 data from 251 public school districts in Massachusetts, which included 540,000 students and over 100,000 staff members. They found there was no significant change in the rates of infection among students and staff who maintained six feet of distance versus those who only maintained three feet.
The majority of schools in Massachusetts require universal masking, according to the report. Researchers say with adherence to masking and other necessary safety protocols, shorter physical distancing policies could potentially be adopted in schools without negatively impacting the safety of students and staff.
The study is getting attention from leading experts on COVID-19 and the CDC. In an appearance on CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the results of the study could lead to an eventual update to the official CDC guidance on the virus.
“What the CDC wants to do is they want to accumulate data, and when the data shows that there is an ability to be three feet, then they will act accordingly,” he explained. “They have clearly noted those data. They are, in fact, doing those studies themselves.”
Even without changes to the official CDC guidance on COVID-19, some school districts have already started adopting shorter distancing protocols. The Illinois State Board of Education plans to adopt the three-feet rule throughout the state as a way of getting more kids back in school. Select schools in Michigan are also experimenting with three feet of distancing in the classroom.
More research will be needed to determine the full impact of shortened social distancing, but the results are promising for parents, teachers and leaders whose ultimate goal is to get kids safely back at school. Reopening schools is one of President Biden’s main goals for his first 100 days in office. His most recent plans to achieve that goal include increased testing and safety equipment for school staff, as well as additional funding to reduce class sizes and modify classrooms to meet safety standards.
Maintaining six feet of space between all students and staff presents a big challenge for many schools. Additional funding will help, but an official decrease in the required amount of social distancing could potentially allow schools to make even better use of their existing classroom spaces and reopen at higher capacities.
Ultimately, the CDC will have the final say on whether or not three feet is a safe amount of distance to maintain. Their guidance so far has helped to keep the rates of COVID-19 transmission relatively low in schools. Hopefully, as the science evolves, even more U.S. kids will be able to get back to learning in classrooms and leave distance learning behind.
Update 3/22: The CDC updated its guidelines to reflect the new findings, recommending that, with universal masking, students should maintain a distance of at least three feet in elementary school settings, regardless of the community transmission rate. In middle and high schools where transmission is low, moderate, and substantial, three feet is adequate. And in middle schools and high schools in communities where transmission is high, students should be at least six feet apart. For more details, visit the CDC’s site.