PA Health Experts Change Guidance On Isolation In Schools

PENNSYLVANIA — Guidance from some health experts in Pennsylvania calls for schools to relax COVID-19 mitigation measures, including isolation measures in schools, quarantine periods, virtual learning, and more.

Backed by recent changes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PolicyLab issued their updated guidance last week. Among the changes is a recommendation to no longer require staff and students who have been exposed to the virus to isolate. Instead, they should undergo a "modified quarantine" for a week where they must wear a mask at all times.

"Our updated recommendations...place greater emphasis on masking to reduce transmission during periods of high case incidence in the community and among individuals with recent exposure or infection, while reducing routine school-based testing and contact tracing," the PolicyLab wrote in its most recent COVID-19 outlook.

The Lab also argues that in-person schooling outweighs the risk of COVID-19 infection in children. "The time has come to pivot towards solutions that prioritize normalization of in-school education alongside practical safety measures that can manage the worst of this resurgence," they wrote.

While nearby states like New Jersey have encoded similar guidance at the state level, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has not yet taken that step. In fact, school districts around the state have done exactly the opposite: Philadelphia has sent more than 91 schools to virtual learning amid the surge in omicron cases, and teachers unions and some Democrats are urging Gov. Tom Wolf to declare a state of emergency and implement stricter mitigation measures.

Other changes in CHOP's guidance:

• Discontinue required weekly testing of asymptomatic students, teachers and school staff
• Students and teachers with mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19 may consider testing, if available
• Continue indoor masking requirements within buildings and at school activities, regardless of vaccination status

The CDC's guidance change at the end of December was "motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after," according to the CDC.