Lawrence Kleinman, a pediatrician and professor at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is available to discuss the latest guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention around the country's safe reopening of schools.
"The reopening of schools should be a balancing act between risks and benefits, more specifically the risks of children having to be cared for and educated at home versus the risks of coronavirus exposure at, or on the way to and from school," said Kleinman, who is also the vice chair for academic development and chief of the Division of Population Health, Quality and Implementation Science at Rutgers RWJMS. "This balance of risks and benefits can vary for specific communities and even specific individuals, but it's crucial to note that no congregating activities can be considered completely safe."
"Children and teachers who are overweight or obese or who have a chronic illness, and older teachers are at higher risk. Even having unimmunized household members at higher risk increases the risk for bad things happening. Therefore, such groups need to be allowed to remain remote even if the bulk of individuals go back for in-person learning."
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Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) takes an integrated approach to educating students, providing clinical care and conducting research, all with the goal of improving human health. Aligned with Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and collaborating university-wide, RBHS includes eight schools, a behavioral health network and four centers and institutes. RBHS offers an outstanding education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, biomedical research and the full spectrum of allied health careers. RBHS clinical and academic facilities are located throughout the state.
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