Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - It was a year ago this week that schools across Western New York closed due to Covid concerns. In the months since, many students have been able to return on a limited basis. Others, including a majority of public school students in the City of Buffalo have not been able to step foot in a classroom since.
The Impact of kids not being in school for an entire calendar year is clear to see for Medical Director at Oishei Children's Hospital, Dr. Stephen Turkovich.
"Our child psychiatry clinic has seen a significant increase in visits by 20-30% since the pandemic started a year ago," Turkovich said. "We've seen some increased visits in the emergency room in children who need additional care. Children on the autism spectrum who really do need those daily routines, especially the therapies and routines in schools, are having significant difficulties."
Will policies change to allow more students the opportunity to attend school? It depends on where you live.
In Colorado and Ohio, three feet of distancing is acceptable for a return to school. Schools in Florida and West Virginia have opened for children five days a week. Washington's Governor recently ordered all school districts to offer at least part-time in person learning for all students by mid-April.
Last month, Massachusetts' Education Commissioner directed schools that children only need to be separated by three feet, as opposed to the six feet recommended by the CDC. This allowed schools to increase capacity to hold more students, with some able to attend five days a week. There, a study by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center looked at how the reduced distance impacted Covid spread and found "no substantial difference" in the number of cases in schools that had three feet of distancing versus a six foot policy.
"They found that there was no significant difference in terms of transmission in children, and staff, faculty, and teachers where they were either six feet or three feet," Turkovich said. "So now we have the evidence to prove that is a safe social distance in school, as long as there's masking."
That evidence adds to a Wisconsin study published by the CDC that found with masking requirements, transmission risk within schools appeared low, even when six feet of distancing was generally not maintained in k-8th Grade classrooms. Dr. Tracy Høeg, an epidemiologist who helped to conduct that study, later said in a tweet that she was unaware of any data or studies that would show how the CDC came up with their thresholds for schools to operate safely.
Will the evidence force the CDC to change its guidelines that so many schools across the country have abided by?
"The CDC is very well aware that data are accumulating making it look more like three feet or OK under certain circumstances," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, appearing on CNN this weekend. "I can assure you, within a reasonable period of time, quite reasonable, they will be giving guidelines according to the data that they have."
If that changes, will Buffalo students who have been kept out of school buildings be able to return?
Earlier this month, Buffalo Superintendent Kriner Cash told WBEN that he would only entertain the idea of three feet of distancing if Dr. Fauci and the CDC said it was OK to do so, even if the green light was first given by the State Health Department.
"I'd have to see who's buying that," Cash said. "That doesn't seem scientific to me."
Even if the CDC changes their distancing guidance, something the World Health Organization has already done, it doesn't appear the district will rush to accommodate more students.
"It's something we're going to have to look closely at, if it does come," said Buffalo School Board member Larry Scott. "Any changes that we make, we'd have to weigh very strongly with safety."
If the distancing guidelines do change because of mounting scientific evidence and the advice of health experts, is the Buffalo School District ready to get students back in school as soon as possible?
"Um, well it's certainly going to take more planning," Scott said.
