The failed case for masking.
To date, despite an intervention that impacts millions of children in the United States, no randomized, controlled studies have been completed to determine masking’s efficacy in reducing COVID spread in schools.
Children’s already-low risk from COVID has become even lower. Vaccines are available to children aged five and up, the Omicron variant is causing milder disease, and vaccines continue to be extremely protective against severe disease in the Omicron era.
We believe it is time to allow children the same return to normalcy that adults have enjoyed. Children’s schools, athletics, and activities should be restored to their 2019 norms. Masks should become optional in US schools (we suggest, by February 15), and we can also return to pre-pandemic norms for quarantines: if you are sick, stay home. (Urgency of Normal, Statement)
Learn more about the data that supports our mission below.
Children, COVID, and the urgency of normal
COVID poses very little threat of serious disease for students in highly vaccinated communities.
COVID is a flu-like risk for unvaccinated children. Extraordinary measures in schools are not justified.
Vaccinated children have almost no risk of severe disease. Omicron does not change this.
Teachers remain well protected by vaccination, with boosters important in older age groups.
Read more here, from an informed group of leading scientists and pediatric, infectious disease, emergency, and ICU doctors,
The benefits and burdens of wearing face masks in schools
Masked education? This 2020 review noted that ‘covering the lower half of the face reduces the ability to communicate, interpret, and mimic the expressions of those with whom we interact. Positive emotions become less recognizable, and negative emotions are amplified.
After 2 years, growing calls to take masks off children in school (NPR)
Dr. Jeanne Noble, who directs COVID-19 response for the UCSF Emergency Department at the University of California, San Francisco, is part of the coalition. “Kids don’t need to be masked. Full stop. They have minuscule risk of serious illness or death from COVID,” she says. She and colleagues are suggesting that especially vulnerable children continue to mask while other vaccinated children can safely go without.
Schools can safely make masks optional with the CDC’s new guidelines.
Washington Post Opinion from infectious disease physicians, suggests everyone now has tools to protect themselves from severe disease, or any infection, if they so choose. Making the shift to mask-optional also respects that people will have different risk tolerance levels.
An Open Call to Restore Normalcy for U.S. Children
Based on a careful review of all of the evidence, a group of leading scientists and pediatric, infectious disease, emergency, and ICU doctors got together to form Urgency of Normal. They believe it is time to allow children the same return to normalcy that adults have enjoyed. Masks should become optional in US schools and schools should return to pre-pandemic norms for quarantines: if you are sick, stay home.