Lane County Public Health officials are concerned about the rise in COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and the exposure risks associated.
Health officials said so far, most of the K-12 cases are attributed to spread during school related activities. There are currently two active sports team outbreaks. Also troubling is the transmission and exposure happening on buses.
Officials said just one case on a school bus can result in 20 exposures. While not all exposures result in positive cases-- the impact is felt when those kids have to go into quarantine.
Lane County Public Health’s Jason Davis said the spread of COVID in school environments is a present danger we face. “However so is the danger to a child’s future education and their learning if they are constantly in quarantine or having to do distance learning,” he warned.
Davis said bus drivers are working hard to prevent spread while coming or going from school but it's a challenge. He said there is still a "ridiculous amount of exposure" happening during transport. Schools continue to work with a dedicated public health liaison to help with safety protocols.
To parents, Davis said “when you may be hearing about the number of kids in your child’s classroom who are quarantined, it has to do with the high number of contacts that each individual case is having.” He added that parents- with their messaging and behaviors around prevention- are a crucial link in keeping kids safe in and out of school.