Note: I keep thinking I’ll wind this Q&A down, but y’all keep asking good questions and the pandemic continues. With the intention of slowly winding down, I’ve decided to stop writing updates on Fridays. See you again on Monday!

Question: How does this make sense?: Masks No Longer Required: Mid TN School Districts Loosen Rules For Upcoming Year Masks are optional for students, and the article says that that’s in compliance with CDC guidelines for schools. But for schools where literally no child is vaccinated (eg, preschools and K-4), how can optional masks align with CDC?

Answer: Masks are a low cost, high reward public health intervention. In case you want a data point specifically about elementary schools and masking, just two days ago JAMA news reported recent results from CDC’s survey of Georgia elementary schools, which found that K-5 schools that required mask use witnessed fewer cases than those schools that made mask wearing optional.*  When it comes to CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, CDC clearly states, “Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated.”  Additionally, CDC recommends increased implementation of prevention strategies in schools that are in areas with high levels of community transmission, low vaccination uptake, and/or increasing numbers of local outbreaks:

“As another example, a school in a community with substantial or high transmission, with a low teacher, staff, or student vaccination rate, and without a screening testing program should continue to require masks for people who are not fully vaccinated and might decide that they need to continue to maximize physical distancing.”

What CDC’s guidance does *not* do is to make elementary school masking requirements.  Instead the agency leaves it up to each locality to make its own decision.  And this is how you can get a set of folks saying that their approach aligns with CDC’s guidance.  Le sigh.  

Ultimately, I agree with you; here’s another Tennessee approach to COVID doesn’t make sense.  

*Specifically, those that required teachers and staff to wear masks had 37% fewer new cases (95% CI: 15%-53% fewer cases) than those that made mask wearing options.  Additionally, those schools that required students to wear masks had 21% fewer new cases, but this finding was not statistically significant.  The study also found that K-5 schools that improved their ventilation systems witnessed 39% fewer cases (also a statistically significant finding).