Some School Districts Are Moving Away from Student Quarantines

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As the pandemic marks its one-year milestone, discussions around student quarantines and social distancing in schools have intensified. Many parents are advocating for a return to in-person learning, prompting questions about existing protocols—especially as COVID-19 vaccinations become more widespread. The landscape surrounding school policies is increasingly complex: who is required to quarantine, and under what circumstances?

Recent reports indicate that Ohio has updated its guidelines concerning student quarantines. The state has declared that quarantines will no longer be obligatory for potential classroom exposures, provided that students were wearing masks and other public health guidelines were adhered to. “Educators and parents were very pleased to see this adjustment,” explained Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in an interview. “Students like Johnny or Sarah are no longer sidelined for 14 days; they can continue attending school.”

As many counties nationwide prepare to resume daily in-person classes this fall, discussions about quarantine procedures are likely to gain further attention. The state’s findings revealed that close contacts, when properly masked, exhibited COVID-19 rates comparable to those with no known exposure within schools.

Ohio’s new policies stand in contrast to the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which advocates for isolating individuals classified as “close contacts”—those who have been within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes. Quarantine measures can differ significantly; in some instances, if a student within a pod tests positive, all members of that pod must quarantine.

The Washington Post illustrates this with a math class scenario: “[If] a math class tests positive, typically only those closest to the infected student—within six feet for at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period—are sent home.” High schools tend to have higher quarantine numbers due to students frequently changing classes and thus being in closer proximity to more peers.

Concerns about the fluctuating quarantine status of students have drawn criticism from parents, with one mother likening it to a 14-day suspension for “sitting in the wrong seat.” The Biden administration has underscored the importance of mask-wearing, social distancing, and quarantining potentially contagious individuals to prevent virus spread. While earlier CDC guidelines called for a 14-day quarantine, current recommendations suggest a period of either seven or ten days, depending on testing and other factors.

CDC officials continue to emphasize the significance of quarantines in curtailing transmission but acknowledged “some promising results” from studies conducted in Missouri and Utah, where schools modified their quarantine rules this year. However, the agency clarified that these studies do not provide enough evidence to warrant a substantial change in current guidelines.

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Summary:

As the pandemic continues, several school districts, including Ohio, are reassessing their quarantine policies for students. The state has decided that students exposed in classrooms while masked do not need to quarantine, a move welcomed by many parents and educators. While the CDC still recommends quarantines for close contacts, some studies suggest modified rules may be effective. As schools look to return to in-person learning, the debate surrounding these guidelines is likely to continue.