school presentation on covid 19

Topic Portal (1)

Teaching Case (1)

Portals (3)

Online Courses (1)

Thematic Lessons (2)

Teaching Pack Materials (6)

Activity (3)

Lesson Material (3)

Publication (2)

Web Portal (8)

Multimedia (1)

Middle-School Teachers (8)

High-School Teachers (10)

Digital/Media Literacy (5)

Data/Visualization (1)

Critical Thinking (10)

Leadership (1)

Global Learning (1)

Classroom (9)

Blended (10)

Online (11)

How can educators leverage the COVID-19 pandemic to engage students in active learning? This collection of resources was curated to support high-school and middle-school teachers in bringing timely, high-quality material on the current COVID-19 pandemic into the "classroom" whether it be online, hybrid or physical. Each tile within the collection brings together a key resource on the topic and some sample activities, discussion prompts, or tools to generate ideas for teaching and learning. This teaching pack is…

Teaching Pack: Lessons

How can educators leverage the COVID-19 pandemic to engage students in active learning? This collection of resources was curated to support high-school and middle-school teachers in bringing timely, high-quality material on the current COVID-19 pandemic into their "classrooms," whether digital or physical.

This online curriculum produced by the COVID-19 Student Response Team at Harvard Medical School (HMS) …

This online curriculum produced by the COVID-19 Student Response Team at Harvard Medical School (HMS) is a resource portal containing information about Coronavirus in three formats tailored to elementary school students, middle school students, and high school and college age students. Modules for elementary students include a guided series of printable coloring pages. Middle school students can learn the science behind viruses and the timeline of COVID-19 via a series of videos, readings, and interactive…

The purpose of this protocol is to design an art assignment that communicates public health …

The purpose of this protocol is to design an art assignment that communicates public health information. This is inspired by the United Nations Global Call Out to Creatives, a campaign to marshal creative efforts in translating critical public health message to different communities. A provocative or eye-catching piece of art, video, or audio can transform evidence into a format that is both attractive and memorable. Resources Students may want to refer to the following resources…

This collection of resources from The New York Times is designed to help students and …

This collection of resources from The New York Times is designed to help students and educators stay updated on the COVID-19 outbreak, think critically about information, consider the “essential” questions the pandemic raises about our world today. Popular resources include a lesson on how coronavirus hijacks cell function, weekly data literacy activities, short Film Club documentaries on COVID-related stories, and daily writing prompts for students. The page is regularly updated with new student-centered content from…

This video and facilitator guide from KQED, aimed at students, talks about the importance of …

This video and facilitator guide from KQED, aimed at students, talks about the importance of social distancing, even for young people. The facilitator guide includes prompts for students to practice their writing, specifically about their personal experiences social distancing and their tips for survival. Educators have the option to integrate the resource directly to Google Classroom.

These resources from BrainPOP offer multiple ways to teach about coronavirus that are most appropriate …

These resources from BrainPOP offer multiple ways to teach about coronavirus that are most appropriate for younger students. After watching the anchor video, students can take quizzes or make a visual map of their learning through BrainPOP’s web-based tool. It also includes a worksheet about prevention, graphic organizer on fact vs. fear, and vocabulary flash cards.

This resource collection from Scholastic Classroom Magazines brings together age-appropriate information for teaching about the …

This resource collection from Scholastic Classroom Magazines brings together age-appropriate information for teaching about the coronavirus. Among the resources for middle school and high school students is an interview with a physicist who explains how sneezes (and mucus droplets) spread the disease, as well as an accessible article on pandemic preparedness.

This web portal from the Viswanath Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public …

This web portal from the Viswanath Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together a wide variety of credible Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related information that is easy to access, digest, and act upon. The rapid spread of COVID-19 has simultaneously led to a rapid spread of information, misinformation, and disinformation related to the pandemic. This portal seeks to aid journalists, non-governmental organizations, and community members in navigating this deluge of…

These activities from Facing History and Ourselves encourage students to grapple with the ethics around …

These activities from Facing History and Ourselves encourage students to grapple with the ethics around social distancing, a new social norm with the spread of COVID-19. In particular, the activities in this resource help students explore the meaning of “common good” and consider its implications for collective action. Each activity includes reflection questions, which students can respond to through text, virtual discussion, or multimedia. This resource also includes student-facing Google Slides that can be integrated…

This resource library from National Geographic includes photos, videos, maps, and activities related to infectious …

This resource library from National Geographic includes photos, videos, maps, and activities related to infectious diseases. The resources within the collection focus on bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The resources within the collection would be useful to educators seeking to contextualize COVID-19 within the context of other infectious disease prevention and treatment efforts. Educators can filter by content type (e.g., video, infographic, activity) or by subject (e.g., biology, social studies, geography). Most resources are suitable…

This case vignette will be most useful to high-school educators looking to introduce COVID-19 to …

This case vignette will be most useful to high-school educators looking to introduce COVID-19 to their classroom. The case focuses on understanding why local and federal governments need to "implement guidelines for social distancing". Students will learn what "social distancing" means, and how it can involve population-based measures such as canceling group events and closing public spaces as well as individual-level behavior change such as staying home, working remotely, and avoiding of crowds. Students will…

This documentary uncovers the history of the 1918 flu epidemic—the worst epidemic in American history, …

This documentary uncovers the history of the 1918 flu epidemic—the worst epidemic in American history, which killed over 600,000 people. Since 2018 represents the centenary of this deadly epidemic, many are drawing parallels to the current, deadly flu season. The film is accompanied by a teacher’s guide, a timeline tracking the disease’s spread, and a photo gallery of the medical investigation of influenza.

This article in the Biomedical Science Journal for Teens compares two non-pharmaceutical approaches for addressing …

This article in the Biomedical Science Journal for Teens compares two non-pharmaceutical approaches for addressing COVID-19: mitigation approaches, which emphasize protecting the most vulnerable in the population, and suppression approaches, which minimize the spread of the disease until treatment is available. This article, written in plain language accessible to middle school and high school audiences, bases this comparison on a computer model for flu pandemic simulations, modified for COVID-19. The authors find that suppression strategies—which…

Welcome to the Incubator's Digital Repository

Our digital repository is a searchable library of selected resources that support learning and teaching about interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary population health challenges across the globe. It includes general resources (e.g., reports, articles, country profiles, data, etc.) and teaching resources (e.g., teaching cases, curated resource packs, and lesson-based teaching packs). Open-access sources are prioritized, and include peer-reviewed journals, global reports from multilateral institutions and alliances, and knowledge-related public goods from reputable research and policy organizations.

Take a Video Tour

Download a 2-Page Explainer (PDF)

Download Self-Guided Tour (PDF)

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Writing Prompts, Lesson Plans, Graphs and Films: 150 Resources for Teaching About the Coronavirus Pandemic

This cross-curricular resource collection, including math, history, science and music, helps students process, deepen and challenge their understanding of the pandemic and its effects on our society.

By The Learning Network

Since January, The Learning Network has published over 150 resources to help students process, deepen and challenge their understanding of the pandemic and its far-reaching effects on our society.

Via our daily writing prompts, we’ve asked students to share their experiences: finding joy in the face of isolation, staying fit, and managing social distancing and online schooling. Through our daily lesson plans, we’ve encouraged students to explore topics like the science of the virus, the history of global pandemics and the effects of social class.

Our graphs have encouraged students to analyze how interventions can slow the spread of the coronavirus, and our short films have helped students consider how the crisis has contributed to growing racism and inequality — and a need for ice cream. We also have a quiz to help educate students on the basics.

While our regular daily and weekly features are on hiatus during the summer, we’ll be back in September with many more resources for the new school year. Let us know what else we might add to this collection as the world continues to battle the virus by making a comment or emailing us at [email protected].

Teaching Resource Collections

A good place to start exploring the Learning Network’s materials on the coronavirus pandemic is our three in-depth resource collections below. Each includes student-centered activities and projects as well as a wealth of links to New York Times coverage.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Preventing Spread of Infections in K-12 Schools

Table of contents.

• › Preventing Spread of Infections in K-12 Schools
• Everyday Actions for Schools to Prevent and Control the Spread of Transmissible Infections
• When Students or Staff are Sick
• Planning for Outbreaks, Epidemics, and Pandemics
• Additional Strategies that May Be Used to Minimize Infectious Disease Transmission in Schools during Times of Elevated Illness Activity
• Maintaining School Operational Status
• Considerations for Prioritizing Additional Strategies
• Appendix A: How Infections Spread
• Science Brief: Prevention and Control of Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections in Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) Schools
• Fact Sheet: Help Your Child’s School Prevent the Spread of Infections

Mention of a product or company name is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Schools provide safe, supportive environments, routines, and important services that support student health and well-being. Schools should have plans in place that can help reduce illness and illness-related absenteeism by preventing the spread of common infections. This guidance is designed to maximize school attendance and its benefits for all students, while also preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

• Schools can help prevent infections caused by common childhood respiratory or stomach viruses by using and encouraging everyday actions.
• If illnesses are spreading in the community, additional actions can be taken by schools to prevent infections from spreading.
• Schools can prepare for outbreaks or a pandemic by ensuring that they have an emergency operations plan with an infectious disease section , which outlines the actions necessary to reduce the impact of the outbreak.

This new guidance consolidates and simplifies previous recommendations intended specifically for K-12 school settings. It replaces previous guidance that was for COVID-19 and influenza in schools, is aligned with CDC’s respiratory virus guidance , and is based on scientific studies that showed what works best to prevent the spread of many common respiratory and stomach infections. These strategies can also reduce the spread of many other infectious diseases in schools.

Prevention and Control of Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections in Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) Schools

On CDC’s website, there is additional guidance for several other illnesses (e.g., strep throat , hand-foot-mouth disease , norovirus , head lice , pink eye , impetigo , scabies , measles , and molluscum contagiosum ) that schools can use to prevent specific infections. Information on diseases from mosquitos  (e.g., West Nile Virus, dengue) is also available.

Schools should work with their local public health partners, and engage parents/caregivers and other community partners, to create their emergency operations plan that includes a section on infectious diseases. School and public health officials can promote learning and health for all students and staff by implementing comprehensive prevention strategies to keep students, staff, families, and school communities healthy and provide supportive environments for in-person learning. Federal civil rights laws  may require that schools provide reasonable modifications or accommodations in various circumstances. Schools must provide reasonable modifications or reasonable accommodations, when necessary, to ensure equal access to in-person learning for students with disabilities during increased infectious illness activity. Nothing in this guidance is intended to detract from or supersede those laws.

This guidance also highlights the importance of clear and consistent communication between school administrators, parents and caregivers, and staff. Providing clear and accessible communication to families and staff is required for the success of many strategies described in this guidance. Communication strategies should consider the needs of people with limited English proficiency who require language services, and individuals with disabilities who require accessible formats .

Rewiring the classroom: How the COVID-19 pandemic transformed K-12 education

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, brian a. jacob and brian a. jacob walter h. annenberg professor of education policy; professor of economics, and professor of education - university of michigan, former brookings expert cristina stanojevich cs cristina stanojevich doctoral student - michigan state university.

August 26, 2024

• The pandemic changed K-12 classrooms through new technologies, instructional practices, and parent-teacher communications, along with an emphasis on social-emotional learning.
• Less tangibly, COVID-19 might have shifted perceptions of the value and purposes of K-12 schooling.
• The durability and effects of these changes remain unclear and will depend on how educational leaders and policymakers manage them.

In March 2020, virtually all public school districts in the U.S. shut their doors. For the next 18 months, schooling looked like it never had before. Homes became makeshift classrooms; parents became de facto teachers. But by fall 2022, many aspects of K-12 education had returned to “normal.” Schools resumed in-person classes, extracurricular activities flourished, and mask mandates faded.

But did schools really return to what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic? Our research suggests not. We interviewed teachers, school leaders, and district administrators across 12 districts in two states, and then we surveyed a nationally representative set of veteran educators in May 2023. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic transformed K-12 education in fundamental ways.

Below, we describe how the pandemic reshaped the educational landscape in these ways and we consider the opportunities and challenges these changes present for students, educators, and policymakers.

Accelerated adoption of technology

One of the most immediate and visible changes brought about by the pandemic was the rapid integration of technology into the classroom. Before COVID-19, many schools were easing into the digital age. The switch to remote learning in March 2020 forced schools to fully embrace Learning Management Systems (LMS), Zoom, and educational software almost overnight.

When students returned to in-person classrooms, the reliance on these digital tools persisted. Over 70% of teachers in our survey report that students are now assigned their own personal device (over 80% for secondary schools). LMS platforms like Google Classroom and Schoology remain essential in many schools. An assistant superintendent of a middle-income district remarked, “Google Classroom has become a mainstay for many teachers, especially middle school [and] high school.”

The platforms serve as hubs for posting assignments, accessing educational content, and enabling communication between teachers, students, and parents. They have become popular among parents as well. One teacher, who has school-age children herself, noted :

“Whereas pre-COVID…you’re hoping and praying your kids bring home information…[now] I can go on Google classroom and be like, ‘Oh, it says you worked on Mesopotamia today. What was that lesson about?’”

Transformed instructional practices

The pandemic’s impact on student learning was profound. Reading and math scores dropped precipitously, and the gap widened between more and less advantaged students. Many schools responded by adjusting their schedules or adopting new programs. Several mentioned adopting “What I need” (WIN) or “Power” blocks to accommodate diverse learning needs. During these blocks, teachers provide individualized support to students while others work on independent practice or extension activities.

Teachers report placing greater emphasis on small-group instruction and personalized learning. They spend less time on whole-class lecture and rely more on educational software (e.g., Lexia for reading and Zearn for math) to tailor instruction to individual student needs. A third-grade teacher in a low-income district explained:

“The kids are in so many different places, Lexia is very prescriptive and diagnostic, so it will give the kids specifically what level and what skills they need. [I] have a student who’s working on Greek and Latin roots, and then I have another kid who’s working on short vowel sounds. [It’s] much easier for them to get it through Lexia than me trying to get, you know, 18 different reading lessons.”

Teachers aren’t just using technology to personalize instruction. Having spent months gaining expertise with educational software, more teachers find it natural to integrate those programs into their classrooms today. Those teachers who used ed tech before report doing so even more now. They describe using software like Flowcabulary and Prodigy to make learning more engaging, and games such as Kahoot to give students practice with various skills. Products like Nearpod let them create presentations that integrate instruction with formative assessment. Other products, like Edpuzzle, help teachers monitor student progress.

Some teachers discovered how to use digital tools to save time and improve their communications to students. One elementary teacher, for example, explains even when her students complete an assignment by hand, she has them take a picture of it and upload it to her LMS:

“I can sort them, and I can comment on them really fast. So it’s made feedback better. [I have] essentially a portfolio of all their math, rather than like a hard copy that they could lose…We can give verbal feedback. I could just hit the mic and say, ‘Hey, double check number 6, your fraction is in fifths, it needs to be in tenths.’”

Increased emphasis on social-emotional learning

The pandemic also revealed and exacerbated the social-emotional challenges that students face. In our survey, nearly 40% of teachers report many more students struggling with depression and anxiety than before the COVID-19 pandemic; over 80% report having at least a few more students struggling.

These student challenges have changed teachers’ work. When comparing how they spend class time now versus before the pandemic, most teachers report spending more time on activities relating to students’ social-emotional well-being (73%), more time addressing behavioral issues (70%), and more time getting students caught up and reviewing routines and procedures (60%).

In response, schools have invested in social-emotional learning (SEL) programs and hired additional counselors and social workers. Some districts turned to online platforms such as Class Catalyst and CloseGap that allow students to anonymously report their emotional state on a daily basis, which helps school staff track students’ mental health.

Teachers also have been adapting their expectations of students. Many report assigning less homework and providing students more flexibility to turn in assignments late and retake exams.

Facilitated virtual communication between parents and teachers

The pandemic also radically reshaped parent-teacher communications. Mirroring trends across society, videoconferencing has become a go-to option. Schools use videoconferencing for regular parent-teacher conferences, along with meetings to discuss special education placements and disciplinary incidents. In our national survey, roughly one-half of teachers indicate that they conduct a substantial fraction of parent-teacher conferences online; nearly a quarter of teachers report that most of their interactions with parents are virtual.

In our interviews, teachers and parents gushed about the convenience afforded by videoconferencing, and some administrators believe it has increased overall parent participation. (One administrator observed, “Our attendance rates [at parent-teacher conferences] and interaction with parents went through the roof.”)

An administrator from a low-income district shared the benefits of virtual Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings:

“It’s rare that we have a face-to-face meeting…everything is Docusigned now. Parents love it because I can have a parent that’s working—a single mom that’s working full time—that can step out during her lunch break…[and] still interact with everybody.”

During the pandemic, many districts purchased a technology called Remind that allows teachers to use their personal smartphones to text with parents while blocking their actual phone number. We heard that teachers continue to text with parents, citing the benefits for quick check-ins or questions. Remind and many LMS also have translation capabilities that makes it easier for teachers and parents to overcome language barriers.

Moving forward

The changes described above have the potential to improve student learning and increase educational equity. They also carry risks. On the one hand, the growing use of digital tools to differentiate instruction may close achievement gaps, and the ubiquity of video conferencing could allow working parents to better engage with school staff. On the other hand, the overreliance on digital tools could harm students’ fine motor skills (one teacher remarked, “[T]heir handwriting sucks compared to how it used to be”) and undermine student engagement. Some new research suggests that relying on digital platforms might impede learning relative to the old-fashioned “paper and pencil” approach. And regarding virtual conferences, the superintendent of a small, rural district told us, “There’s a disconnect when we do that…No, I want the parents back in our buildings, I want people back. We’re [the school] a community center.”

Of course, some of the changes we observed may not persist. For example, fewer teachers may rely on digital tools to tailor instruction once the “COVID cohorts” have aged out of the system. As the emotional scars of the pandemic fade, schools may choose to devote fewer resources to SEL programming. It’s important to note, too, that many of the changes we found come from the adoption of new technology, and the technology available to educators will continue to evolve (e.g., with the integration of new AI technologies into personalized tutoring systems). That being said, now that educators have access to more instructional technology and—perhaps more importantly—greater familiarity with using such tools, they might continue to rely on them.

The changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic provide a unique opportunity to rethink and improve the structure of K-12 education. While the integration of technology and the focus on social-emotional learning offer promising avenues for enhancing student outcomes, they also require continuous evaluation. Indeed, these changes raise some questions beyond simple cost-benefit calculations. For example, the heightened role of ed tech raises questions about the proper role of the private sector in public education. As teachers increasingly “outsource” the job of instruction to software products, what might be lost?

Educational leaders and policymakers must ensure that these pandemic-inspired changes positively impact learning and address the evolving needs of students and teachers. As we navigate this new educational landscape, the lessons learned from this unprecedented time can serve as a guide for building a more resilient, equitable, and effective educational system for the future.

Beyond technological changes, COVID-19 shifted perspectives about K-12 schooling. A middle-school principal described a new mentality among teachers in her district, “I think we have all become more readily able to adapt…we’ve all learned to assess what we have in front of us and make the adjustments we need to ensure that students are successful.” And a district administrator emphasized how the pandemic highlighted the vital role played by schools:

“…we saw that when students were not in school. From a micro and macro level, the environment that a school creates to support you growing up…we realized how needed this network is…both academically and socially, in growing our citizens up to be productive in the world. And we are happy to have everyone back.”

At the end of the day, this realization may be one of the pandemic’s most enduring legacies.

Related Content

Monica Bhatt, Jonathan Guryan, Jens Ludwig

June 3, 2024

Douglas N. Harris

August 29, 2023

September 27, 2017

Education Access & Equity Education Policy Education Technology K-12 Education

Governance Studies

U.S. States and Territories

Brown Center on Education Policy

Spelman College, Atlanta Georgia

7:00 pm - 12:30 pm EDT

Nicol Turner Lee

August 8, 2024

Online Only

10:00 am - 12:30 pm EDT

We use cookies on this website to enhance your experience. You can find out more about how we use cookies here

Preventing COVID-19: Refresher Presentations for Schools and Childcare Settings

Understanding how COVID-19 is transmitted and ensuring that proper public health measures are in place is important for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in schools and childcare settings. This presentation series provides those working in school and childcare settings a refresher about the public health practices that help prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Implementing all recommended public health measures is important to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your facilities (i.e., no single measure should be relied on by itself).  Below you will find links to the recorded presentations as well as a downloadable copy of the presentation slides.

COVID-19 Transmission

An overview of how COVID-19 is spread, measures to reduce the risk of spread and implications for infection prevention and control (IPAC) in schools and child care settings.

• Duration: 9 min
• Updated 3 Sep 2021
• View the full transcript

Presentation

Hand Hygiene

Hand Hygiene: The Importance of Cleaning Hands

• Duration: 8 min

The role of cleaning your hands in preventing the spread of COVID-19 as well as review of the proper technique for cleaning your hands and hand care.

Physical Distancing

Environmental Cleaning

• Duration: 7 min

Considerations for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in school and child care settings.

Communications

[email protected]

• Media Centre

Don’t have a MyPHO account? Register Now

You must be logged in and have the correct access level to access this product.

Login or Register

• Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19

As with other illnesses that spread from person to person, COVID-19 outbreaks can happen in schools. There are ways your child's school can help prevent or stop infections. And there are ways you can help your family avoid getting sick.

Kids have about the same chance as adults of catching the virus that causes COVID-19. How often kids keep their germs to themselves is not clear. But there's at least some risk of a child bringing COVID-19 home from school and passing it to family members.

The good news is that schools and families can take actions to protect students' health, both every day and during illness outbreaks.

• COVID-19 vaccines

In the U.S., everyone age 6 months and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines helps prevent serious COVID-19 illness, the need for hospital care due to COVID-19 and death from COVID-19. That's true for both adults and children.

To make sure all children have the chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine, your school may host a vaccine clinic. Or the school might send information on where to get a vaccine.

The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads on the breath of people who are infected. When you're outside, the natural airflow makes it less likely the virus a person breathes out will infect you.

When you're inside, or in a vehicle, keeping fresh air moving into the space lowers the amount of germs in the air.

Opening windows can help, along with using fans to pull outside air into rooms. If you're in spaces where you can't open windows or if your outside air quality is bad, using an air purifier may be an option.

Hand-washing

Hand-washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds can help stop the spread of germs at home and in school. For kids and adults who tend to hurry, keep washing until you sing the entire "Happy Birthday" song twice, which takes about 20 seconds.

Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water aren't available.

Have your child cover the mouth and nose with an elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Then throw the tissue in the trash and wash the hands right away. Remind your child to avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth.

Schools can make hand-washing easier by making sure all the supplies are ready for use.

Also, schools can build in time for kids and staff to wash hands. It's time well spent before eating, after going to the bathroom, or after coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose.

Wearing face masks

Face masks can protect you from breathing in germs. Face masks also can protect others from breathing in your germs if you're sick.

Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, fits your face without gaps, and is comfortable for you to wear all day.

When the germs that cause COVID-19 are spreading in your area, masks can lower the risk of infection. But some people may choose to wear masks at other times.

Schools can support masking in a few ways.

• Teach students and staff about why people may choose to wear a face mask.
• Accommodate people who can't wear masks due to a disability.
• Provide access to clear masks that allow for lip reading.

Don't place a face mask on a child younger than age 2 or a person with a disability who can't safely wear a mask. It can be hard to find a mask that fits a child's face so be prepared to try more than one if needed.

Some masks may have instructions on how to make them fit without gaps. And you may need to teach your child how to put the mask on or take it off correctly.

When the COVID-19 virus spread is high

Getting a vaccine, having good airflow and following good hygiene habits such as washing hands are basic steps to protect from infection. Wearing a face mask also may be part of your typical response.

But other actions may be needed during an outbreak of COVID-19. If the level of illness in the community is high, other steps can help manage the risk of getting sick.

• Schools and health agencies may communicate actions parents and caregivers can expect schools to take during this time.
• Schools may ask parents to look for certain symptoms.
• Schools may change the policy for when a person who is ill can come back to school. Some schools may test people who don't have symptoms to screen for COVID-19.
• Schools may put teachers and kids into separate groups, called cohorting. That way even if people in one group get sick, those in other groups may not.
• Schools may change where classes are held, focus on being outside or increase space between kids within the classroom.

What to do if your child has COVID-19

Your child's school likely has a policy about illness and school attendance, but in general, there are some symptoms that are best managed at home. This includes fever, vomiting and loose stools, also called diarrhea. People with these symptoms are likely able to spread whatever germ they have.

If your child has COVID-19, talk to your child's healthcare professional. Most children recover quickly without serious illness.

Also, contact the school. Make sure you understand the school's policy on when your child can return to school.

Once your child is feeling better, the policy for getting back in the classroom may be clarified by the school. But generally, people can get back to their daily activities if the following are true.

• They haven't had a fever for 24 hours without taking medicine for fever.
• Respiratory symptoms are getting better.
• They can eat and drink without throwing up.
• Stools are back to what are typical.

Preventing illness in schools

No one can avoid all germs, but there are ways to help lower the risk of illness.

Teaching good hygiene helps keep your child from missing school due to illness and helps keep your family safe from germs that could travel home.

Another option may be to get involved at your child's school. Learn about the school's policies on how to manage illnesses so you understand the risks and how to lessen them.

• Information for pediatric healthcare providers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• Stay up to date with your vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• Goldman L, et al., eds. COVID-19: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, community prevention, and prognosis. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• Everyday actions for schools to prevent and control the spread of infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/orr/school-preparedness/infection-prevention/actions.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• Taking steps for cleaner air for respiratory virus prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/air-quality.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• How to protect yourself and others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• About handwashing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• Additional strategies that may be used to minimize infectious disease transmission in schools during times of elevated illness activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/orr/school-preparedness/infection-prevention/strategies.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• Community respirators and masks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/publicppe/community-ppe.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.
• When students or staff are sick. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/orr/school-preparedness/infection-prevention/when-sick.html. Accessed June 13, 2024.

Products and Services

• A Book: Endemic - A Post-Pandemic Playbook
• Begin Exploring Women's Health Solutions at Mayo Clinic Store
• A Book: Future Care
• Antibiotics: Are you misusing them?
• COVID-19 and vitamin D
• Convalescent plasma therapy
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
• Herd immunity and respiratory illness
• COVID-19 and pets
• COVID-19 and your mental health
• COVID-19 antibody testing
• COVID-19, cold, allergies and the flu
• COVID-19 tests
• COVID-19 drugs: Are there any that work?
• COVID-19 in babies and children
• Coronavirus infection by race
• COVID-19 travel advice
• COVID-19 vaccine: Should I reschedule my mammogram?
• COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
• COVID-19 variant
• COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
• COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
• Debunking coronavirus myths
• Different COVID-19 vaccines
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Fever: First aid
• Fever treatment: Quick guide to treating a fever
• Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home
• Honey: An effective cough remedy?
• How do COVID-19 antibody tests differ from diagnostic tests?
• How to measure your respiratory rate
• How to take your pulse
• How to take your temperature
• How well do face masks protect against COVID-19?
• Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
• Long-term effects of COVID-19
• Loss of smell
• Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?
• Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pregnancy and COVID-19
• Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Sex and COVID-19
• Shortness of breath
• Thermometers: Understand the options
• Treating COVID-19 at home
• Unusual symptoms of coronavirus
• Vaccine guidance from Mayo Clinic
• Watery eyes

5X Challenge

Thanks to generous benefactors, your gift today can have 5X the impact to advance AI innovation at Mayo Clinic.

COVID-19 Presentations

This page describes presentations on COVID-19 communication that the Center has been a part of.

Talking With Patients and Communities About the COVID-19 Vaccines: Tips for Effective Communication

Jan 13, 2021 - Online webinar, recording posted to  YouTube

This webinar is the second in a series to support effective communication around the approval and use of COVID-19 vaccines. It builds on concerns and questions from health care providers, administrators, public health practitioners and community health workers as they listen to patients and community members. The focus was on sharing effective strategies to enhance acceptance and uptake of the vaccine. Dr. Baur was a panelist at this event and shared examples of how to communicate about the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Ethical Challenges for Public Health Practice When Working for Federal Agencies

Oct 27, 2020 - Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland School of Public Health

Public health agencies depend on well-trained, ethical professionals to carry out the complex and varied work of public health and to protect the public's health. The coronavirus has put public health practitioners in a spotlight and made the work more difficult and even dangerous, given some types of public reactions. Drs. Boris Lushniak, Dushanka Kleinman, Olivia Carter-Pokras and Cynthia Baur worked in several agencies of the federal US Department of Health and Human Services over several decades and now teach and research public health. They share their perspectives and suggestions of how future public health leaders can learn from the coronavirus outbreak and prepare themselves to be ethical public health leaders when the next outbreaks and disasters come. Find more information about the Ethical Challenges for Public Health Practice When Working for Federal Agencies webinar.

Effective Risk Communication as an Antidote to COVID-19 Misinformation

Oct 9, 2020 - Great Lakes Health Literacy Conference 2020: Implications for Health Literacy during Times of Crisis

Dr. Cynthia Baur presented the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework and examples of how COVID-19 communication has violated many of those principles. She recommended that health communicators pay special attention to how COVID-19 risks are explained and showed how health literacy techniques can help.

Health Literacy as a Corrective to a Misinformation Culture for Coronavirus Communications

Oct 8, 2020 - National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media

Dr. Cynthia Baur discussed the many ways the COVID-19 "infodemic" and misinformation is undermining health literacy and creating unnecessary and dangerous confusion. She proposed that health literacy techniques can help bridge scientific findings and public acceptance of recommendations.

Participating in a Pandemic: Ensuring Safe Voting Public 

Oct 5, 2020 - University of Maryland School of Public Policy

Dr. Cynthia Baur participated in a panel hosted by the UMD School of Public Policy for the BIG10 network on safe voting. She talked in general about risk communication and specifically about the importance of clear directions for voters, poll workers, the media, and election officials.  Read the panel summary here.

The Language of COVID-19: What’s Gone Wrong and How We Do Better

July 22, 2020 - IHA's 19th Annual Health Literacy Conference: Health Equities and Disparities in the Times of COVID-19

The coronavirus and COVID-19 disease have highlighted the central role of communication in public health emergencies and disasters. Information about the virus and disease—who's affected and why, protective behaviors, and consequences—have become so overwhelming and confusing that the World Health Organization declared an "infodemic of misinformation." Given that the basic structure of crisis and emergency response messaging is well-known in public health, how did COVID-19 communication go so wrong? How can health literacy and health communication practitioners contribute to a healthier information environment? This presentation will review the basic principles of clear and useful risk messages, examine examples of virus and COVID-19 information, and diagram improvements.  Full conference archive

Public Health Symposium on Coronavirus

Feb 20, 2020 - University of Maryland School of Public Health

Dr. Cynthia Baur addresses concerns about the international coronavirus outbreak in her presentation, Effective Risk Communication As an Antidote to Fear, Uncertainty and Misinformation.  Detailed summary of the entire event here.  

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection

The Effect of COVID-19 on Education

Jacob hoofman.

a Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield, Detroit, MI 48201, USA

Elizabeth Secord

b Department of Pediatrics, Wayne Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Pediatrics Wayne State University, 400 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA

COVID-19 has changed education for learners of all ages. Preliminary data project educational losses at many levels and verify the increased anxiety and depression associated with the changes, but there are not yet data on long-term outcomes. Guidance from oversight organizations regarding the safety and efficacy of new delivery modalities for education have been quickly forged. It is no surprise that the socioeconomic gaps and gaps for special learners have widened. The medical profession and other professions that teach by incrementally graduated internships are also severely affected and have had to make drastic changes.

• • Virtual learning has become a norm during COVID-19.
• • Children requiring special learning services, those living in poverty, and those speaking English as a second language have lost more from the pandemic educational changes.
• • For children with attention deficit disorder and no comorbidities, virtual learning has sometimes been advantageous.
• • Math learning scores are more likely to be affected than language arts scores by pandemic changes.
• • School meals, access to friends, and organized activities have also been lost with the closing of in-person school.

The transition to an online education during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may bring about adverse educational changes and adverse health consequences for children and young adult learners in grade school, middle school, high school, college, and professional schools. The effects may differ by age, maturity, and socioeconomic class. At this time, we have few data on outcomes, but many oversight organizations have tried to establish guidelines, expressed concerns, and extrapolated from previous experiences.

General educational losses and disparities

Many researchers are examining how the new environment affects learners’ mental, physical, and social health to help compensate for any losses incurred by this pandemic and to better prepare for future pandemics. There is a paucity of data at this juncture, but some investigators have extrapolated from earlier school shutdowns owing to hurricanes and other natural disasters. 1

Inclement weather closures are estimated in some studies to lower middle school math grades by 0.013 to 0.039 standard deviations and natural disaster closures by up to 0.10 standard deviation decreases in overall achievement scores. 2 The data from inclement weather closures did show a more significant decrease for children dependent on school meals, but generally the data were not stratified by socioeconomic differences. 3 , 4 Math scores are impacted overall more negatively by school absences than English language scores for all school closures. 4 , 5

The Northwest Evaluation Association is a global nonprofit organization that provides research-based assessments and professional development for educators. A team of researchers at Stanford University evaluated Northwest Evaluation Association test scores for students in 17 states and the District of Columbia in the Fall of 2020 and estimated that the average student had lost one-third of a year to a full year's worth of learning in reading, and about three-quarters of a year to more than 1 year in math since schools closed in March 2020. 5

With school shifted from traditional attendance at a school building to attendance via the Internet, families have come under new stressors. It is increasingly clear that families depended on schools for much more than math and reading. Shelter, food, health care, and social well-being are all part of what children and adolescents, as well as their parents or guardians, depend on schools to provide. 5 , 6

Many families have been impacted negatively by the loss of wages, leading to food insecurity and housing insecurity; some of loss this is a consequence of the need for parents to be at home with young children who cannot attend in-person school. 6 There is evidence that this economic instability is leading to an increase in depression and anxiety. 7 In 1 survey, 34.71% of parents reported behavioral problems in their children that they attributed to the pandemic and virtual schooling. 8

Children have been infected with and affected by coronavirus. In the United States, 93,605 students tested positive for COVID-19, and it was reported that 42% were Hispanic/Latino, 32% were non-Hispanic White, and 17% were non-Hispanic Black, emphasizing a disproportionate effect for children of color. 9 COVID infection itself is not the only issue that affects children’s health during the pandemic. School-based health care and school-based meals are lost when school goes virtual and children of lower socioeconomic class are more severely affected by these losses. Although some districts were able to deliver school meals, school-based health care is a primary source of health care for many children and has left some chronic conditions unchecked during the pandemic. 10

Many families report that the stress of the pandemic has led to a poorer diet in children with an increase in the consumption of sweet and fried foods. 11 , 12 Shelter at home orders and online education have led to fewer exercise opportunities. Research carried out by Ammar and colleagues 12 found that daily sitting had increased from 5 to 8 hours a day and binge eating, snacking, and the number of meals were all significantly increased owing to lockdown conditions and stay-at-home initiatives. There is growing evidence in both animal and human models that diets high in sugar and fat can play a detrimental role in cognition and should be of increased concern in light of the pandemic. 13

The family stress elicited by the COVID-19 shutdown is a particular concern because of compiled evidence that adverse life experiences at an early age are associated with an increased likelihood of mental health issues as an adult. 14 There is early evidence that children ages 6 to 18 years of age experienced a significant increase in their expression of “clinginess, irritability, and fear” during the early pandemic school shutdowns. 15 These emotions associated with anxiety may have a negative impact on the family unit, which was already stressed owing to the pandemic.

Another major concern is the length of isolation many children have had to endure since the pandemic began and what effects it might have on their ability to socialize. The school, for many children, is the agent for forming their social connections as well as where early social development occurs. 16 Noting that academic performance is also declining the pandemic may be creating a snowball effect, setting back children without access to resources from which they may never recover, even into adulthood.

Predictions from data analysis of school absenteeism, summer breaks, and natural disaster occurrences are imperfect for the current situation, but all indications are that we should not expect all children and adolescents to be affected equally. 4 , 5 Although some children and adolescents will likely suffer no long-term consequences, COVID-19 is expected to widen the already existing educational gap from socioeconomic differences, and children with learning differences are expected to suffer more losses than neurotypical children. 4 , 5

Special education and the COVID-19 pandemic

Although COVID-19 has affected all levels of education reception and delivery, children with special needs have been more profoundly impacted. Children in the United States who have special needs have legal protection for appropriate education by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 17 , 18 Collectively, this legislation is meant to allow for appropriate accommodations, services, modifications, and specialized academic instruction to ensure that “every child receives a free appropriate public education . . . in the least restrictive environment.” 17

Children with autism usually have applied behavioral analysis (ABA) as part of their individualized educational plan. ABA therapists for autism use a technique of discrete trial training that shapes and rewards incremental changes toward new behaviors. 19 Discrete trial training involves breaking behaviors into small steps and repetition of rewards for small advances in the steps toward those behaviors. It is an intensive one-on-one therapy that puts a child and therapist in close contact for many hours at a time, often 20 to 40 hours a week. This therapy works best when initiated at a young age in children with autism and is often initiated in the home. 19

Because ABA workers were considered essential workers from the early days of the pandemic, organizations providing this service had the responsibility and the freedom to develop safety protocols for delivery of this necessary service and did so in conjunction with certifying boards. 20

Early in the pandemic, there were interruptions in ABA followed by virtual visits, and finally by in-home therapy with COVID-19 isolation precautions. 21 Although the efficacy of virtual visits for ABA therapy would empirically seem to be inferior, there are few outcomes data available. The balance of safety versus efficacy quite early turned to in-home services with interruptions owing to illness and decreased therapist availability owing to the pandemic. 21 An overarching concern for children with autism is the possible loss of a window of opportunity to intervene early. Families of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder report increased stress compared with families of children with other disabilities before the pandemic, and during the pandemic this burden has increased with the added responsibility of monitoring in-home schooling. 20

Early data on virtual schooling children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit with hyperactivity (ADHD) shows that adolescents with ADD/ADHD found the switch to virtual learning more anxiety producing and more challenging than their peers. 22 However, according to a study in Ireland, younger children with ADD/ADHD and no other neurologic or psychiatric diagnoses who were stable on medication tended to report less anxiety with at-home schooling and their parents and caregivers reported improved behavior during the pandemic. 23 An unexpected benefit of shelter in home versus shelter in place may be to identify these stressors in face-to-face school for children with ADD/ADHD. If children with ADD/ADHD had an additional diagnosis of autism or depression, they reported increased anxiety with the school shutdown. 23 , 24

Much of the available literature is anticipatory guidance for in-home schooling of children with disabilities rather than data about schooling during the pandemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics published guidance advising that, because 70% of students with ADHD have other conditions, such as learning differences, oppositional defiant disorder, or depression, they may have very different responses to in home schooling which are a result of the non-ADHD diagnosis, for example, refusal to attempt work for children with oppositional defiant disorder, severe anxiety for those with depression and or anxiety disorders, and anxiety and perseveration for children with autism. 25 Children and families already stressed with learning differences have had substantial challenges during the COVID-19 school closures.

High school, depression, and COVID-19

High schoolers have lost a great deal during this pandemic. What should have been a time of establishing more independence has been hampered by shelter-in-place recommendations. Graduations, proms, athletic events, college visits, and many other social and educational events have been altered or lost and cannot be recaptured.

Adolescents reported higher rates of depression and anxiety associated with the pandemic, and in 1 study 14.4% of teenagers report post-traumatic stress disorder, whereas 40.4% report having depression and anxiety. 26 In another survey adolescent boys reported a significant decrease in life satisfaction from 92% before COVID to 72% during lockdown conditions. For adolescent girls, the decrease in life satisfaction was from 81% before COVID to 62% during the pandemic, with the oldest teenage girls reporting the lowest life satisfaction values during COVID-19 restrictions. 27 During the school shutdown for COVID-19, 21% of boys and 27% of girls reported an increase in family arguments. 26 Combine all of these reports with decreasing access to mental health services owing to pandemic restrictions and it becomes a complicated matter for parents to address their children's mental health needs as well as their educational needs. 28

A study conducted in Norway measured aspects of socialization and mood changes in adolescents during the pandemic. The opportunity for prosocial action was rated on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 6 (very much) based on how well certain phrases applied to them, for example, “I comforted a friend yesterday,” “Yesterday I did my best to care for a friend,” and “Yesterday I sent a message to a friend.” They also ranked mood by rating items on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very well) as items reflected their mood. 29 They found that adolescents showed an overall decrease in empathic concern and opportunity for prosocial actions, as well as a decrease in mood ratings during the pandemic. 29

A survey of 24,155 residents of Michigan projected an escalation of suicide risk for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender youth as well as those youth questioning their sexual orientation (LGBTQ) associated with increased social isolation. There was also a 66% increase in domestic violence for LGBTQ youth during shelter in place. 30 LGBTQ youth are yet another example of those already at increased risk having disproportionate effects of the pandemic.

Increased social media use during COVID-19, along with traditional forms of education moving to digital platforms, has led to the majority of adolescents spending significantly more time in front of screens. Excessive screen time is well-known to be associated with poor sleep, sedentary habits, mental health problems, and physical health issues. 31 With decreased access to physical activity, especially in crowded inner-city areas, and increased dependence on screen time for schooling, it is more difficult to craft easy solutions to the screen time issue.

During these times, it is more important than ever for pediatricians to check in on the mental health of patients with queries about how school is going, how patients are keeping contact with peers, and how are they processing social issues related to violence. Queries to families about the need for assistance with food insecurity, housing insecurity, and access to mental health services are necessary during this time of public emergency.

Medical school and COVID-19

Although medical school is an adult schooling experience, it affects not only the medical profession and our junior colleagues, but, by extrapolation, all education that requires hands-on experience or interning, and has been included for those reasons.

In the new COVID-19 era, medical schools have been forced to make drastic and quick changes to multiple levels of their curriculum to ensure both student and patient safety during the pandemic. Students entering their clinical rotations have had the most drastic alteration to their experience.

COVID-19 has led to some of the same changes high schools and colleges have adopted, specifically, replacement of large in-person lectures with small group activities small group discussion and virtual lectures. 32 The transition to an online format for medical education has been rapid and impacted both students and faculty. 33 , 34 In a survey by Singh and colleagues, 33 of the 192 students reporting 43.9% found online lectures to be poorer than physical classrooms during the pandemic. In another report by Shahrvini and colleagues, 35 of 104 students surveyed, 74.5% students felt disconnected from their medical school and their peers and 43.3% felt that they were unprepared for their clerkships. Although there are no pre-COVID-19 data for comparison, it is expected that the COVID-19 changes will lead to increased insecurity and feelings of poor preparation for clinical work.

Gross anatomy is a well-established tradition within the medical school curriculum and one that is conducted almost entirely in person and in close quarters around a cadaver. Harmon and colleagues 36 surveyed 67 gross anatomy educators and found that 8% were still holding in-person sessions and 34 ± 43% transitioned to using cadaver images and dissecting videos that could be accessed through the Internet.

Many third- and fourth-year medical students have seen periods of cancellation for clinical rotations and supplementation with online learning, telemedicine, or virtual rounds owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. 37 A study from Shahrvini and colleagues 38 found that an unofficial document from Reddit (a widely used social network platform with a subgroup for medical students and residents) reported that 75% of medical schools had canceled clinical activities for third- and fourth-year students for some part of 2020. In another survey by Harries and colleagues, 39 of the 741 students who responded, 93.7% were not involved in clinical rotations with in-person patient contact. The reactions of students varied, with 75.8% admitting to agreeing with the decision, 34.7% feeling guilty, and 27.0% feeling relieved. 39 In the same survey, 74.7% of students felt that their medical education had been disrupted, 84.1% said they felt increased anxiety, and 83.4% would accept the risk of COVID-19 infection if they were able to return to the clinical setting. 39

Since the start of the pandemic, medical schools have had to find new and innovative ways to continue teaching and exposing students to clinical settings. The use of electronic conferencing services has been critical to continuing education. One approach has been to turn to online applications like Google Hangouts, which come at no cost and offer a wide variety of tools to form an integrative learning environment. 32 , 37 , 40 Schools have also adopted a hybrid model of teaching where lectures can be prerecorded then viewed by the student asynchronously on their own time followed by live virtual lectures where faculty can offer question-and-answer sessions related to the material. By offering this new format, students have been given more flexibility in terms of creating a schedule that suits their needs and may decrease stress. 37

Although these changes can be a hurdle to students and faculty, it might prove to be beneficial for the future of medical training in some ways. Telemedicine is a growing field, and the American Medical Association and other programs have endorsed its value. 41 Telemedicine visits can still be used to take a history, conduct a basic visual physical examination, and build rapport, as well as performing other aspects of the clinical examination during a pandemic, and will continue to be useful for patients unable to attend regular visits at remote locations. Learning effectively now how to communicate professionally and carry out telemedicine visits may better prepare students for a future where telemedicine is an expectation and allow students to learn the limitations as well as the advantages of this modality. 41

Pandemic changes have strongly impacted the process of college applications, medical school applications, and residency applications. 32 For US medical residencies, 72% of applicants will, if the pattern from 2016 to 2019 continues, move between states or countries. 42 This level of movement is increasingly dangerous given the spread of COVID-19 and the lack of currently accepted procedures to carry out such a mass migration safely. The same follows for medical schools and universities.

We need to accept and prepare for the fact that medial students as well as other learners who require in-person training may lack some skills when they enter their profession. These skills will have to be acquired during a later phase of training. We may have less skilled entry-level resident physicians and nurses in our hospitals and in other clinical professions as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected and will continue to affect the delivery of knowledge and skills at all levels of education. Although many children and adult learners will likely compensate for this interruption of traditional educational services and adapt to new modalities, some will struggle. The widening of the gap for those whose families cannot absorb the teaching and supervision of education required for in-home education because they lack the time and skills necessary are not addressed currently. The gap for those already at a disadvantage because of socioeconomic class, language, and special needs are most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic school closures and will have the hardest time compensating. As pediatricians, it is critical that we continue to check in with our young patients about how they are coping and what assistance we can guide them toward in our communities.

Clinics care points

• • Learners and educators at all levels of education have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions with rapid adaptations to virtual learning platforms.
• • The impact of COVID-19 on learners is not evenly distributed and children of racial minorities, those who live in poverty, those requiring special education, and children who speak English as a second language are more negatively affected by the need for remote learning.
• • Math scores are more impacted than language arts scores by previous school closures and thus far by these shutdowns for COVID-19.
• • Anxiety and depression have increased in children and particularly in adolescents as a result of COVID-19 itself and as a consequence of school changes.
• • Pediatricians should regularly screen for unmet needs in their patients during the pandemic, such as food insecurity with the loss of school meals, an inability to adapt to remote learning and increased computer time, and heightened anxiety and depression as results of school changes.

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Mission: Recovering Education in 2021

THE CONTEXT

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused abrupt and profound changes around the world.  This is the worst shock to education systems in decades, with the longest school closures combined with looming recession.  It will set back progress made on global development goals, particularly those focused on education. The economic crises within countries and globally will likely lead to fiscal austerity, increases in poverty, and fewer resources available for investments in public services from both domestic expenditure and development aid. All of this will lead to a crisis in human development that continues long after disease transmission has ended.

Disruptions to education systems over the past year have already driven substantial losses and inequalities in learning. All the efforts to provide remote instruction are laudable, but this has been a very poor substitute for in-person learning.  Even more concerning, many children, particularly girls, may not return to school even when schools reopen. School closures and the resulting disruptions to school participation and learning are projected to amount to losses valued at $10 trillion in terms of affected children’s future earnings.  Schools also play a critical role around the world in ensuring the delivery of essential health services and nutritious meals, protection, and psycho-social support. Thus, school closures have also imperilled children’s overall wellbeing and development, not just their learning.   

It’s not enough for schools to simply reopen their doors after COVID-19. Students will need tailored and sustained support to help them readjust and catch-up after the pandemic. We must help schools prepare to provide that support and meet the enormous challenges of the months ahead. The time to act is now; the future of an entire generation is at stake.

THE MISSION

Mission objective:  To enable all children to return to school and to a supportive learning environment, which also addresses their health and psychosocial well-being and other needs.

Timeframe : By end 2021.

Scope : All countries should reopen schools for complete or partial in-person instruction and keep them open. The Partners - UNESCO , UNICEF , and the World Bank - will join forces to support countries to take all actions possible to plan, prioritize, and ensure that all learners are back in school; that schools take all measures to reopen safely; that students receive effective remedial learning and comprehensive services to help recover learning losses and improve overall welfare; and their teachers are prepared and supported to meet their learning needs. 

Three priorities:

1.    All children and youth are back in school and receive the tailored services needed to meet their learning, health, psychosocial wellbeing, and other needs. 

Challenges : School closures have put children’s learning, nutrition, mental health, and overall development at risk. Closed schools also make screening and delivery for child protection services more difficult. Some students, particularly girls, are at risk of never returning to school. 

Areas of action : The Partners will support the design and implementation of school reopening strategies that include comprehensive services to support children’s education, health, psycho-social wellbeing, and other needs. 

Targets and indicators

2.    All children receive support to catch up on lost learning.

Challenges : Most children have lost substantial instructional time and may not be ready for curricula that were age- and grade- appropriate prior to the pandemic. They will require remedial instruction to get back on track. The pandemic also revealed a stark digital divide that schools can play a role in addressing by ensuring children have digital skills and access.

Areas of action : The Partners will (i) support the design and implementation of large-scale remedial learning at different levels of education, (ii) launch an open-access, adaptable learning assessment tool that measures learning losses and identifies learners’ needs, and (iii) support the design and implementation of digital transformation plans that include components on both infrastructure and ways to use digital technology to accelerate the development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Incorporating digital technologies to teach foundational skills could complement teachers’ efforts in the classroom and better prepare children for future digital instruction.   

While incorporating remedial education, social-emotional learning, and digital technology into curricula by the end of 2021 will be a challenge for most countries, the Partners agree that these are aspirational targets that they should be supporting countries to achieve this year and beyond as education systems start to recover from the current crisis.

3.   All teachers are prepared and supported to address learning losses among their students and to incorporate  digital technology into their teaching.

Challenges : Teachers are in an unprecedented situation in which they must make up for substantial loss of instructional time from the previous school year and teach the current year’s curriculum. They must also protect their own health in school. Teachers will need training, coaching, and other means of support to get this done. They will also need to be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccination, after frontline personnel and high-risk populations.  School closures also demonstrated that in addition to digital skills, teachers may also need support to adapt their pedagogy to deliver instruction remotely. 

Areas of action : The Partners will advocate for teachers to be prioritized in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, after frontline personnel and high-risk populations, and provide capacity-development on pedagogies for remedial learning and digital and blended teaching approaches. 

Country level actions and global support

UNESCO, UNICEF, and World Bank are joining forces to support countries to achieve the Mission, leveraging their expertise and actions on the ground to support national efforts and domestic funding.

Country Level Action

1.  Mobilize team to support countries in achieving the three priorities

The Partners will collaborate and act at the country level to support governments in accelerating actions to advance the three priorities.

2.  Advocacy to mobilize domestic resources for the three priorities

The Partners will engage with governments and decision-makers to prioritize education financing and mobilize additional domestic resources.

Global level action

1.  Leverage data to inform decision-making

The Partners will join forces to   conduct surveys; collect data; and set-up a global, regional, and national real-time data-warehouse.  The Partners will collect timely data and analytics that provide access to information on school re-openings, learning losses, drop-outs, and transition from school to work, and will make data available to support decision-making and peer-learning.

2.  Promote knowledge sharing and peer-learning in strengthening education recovery

The Partners will join forces in sharing the breadth of international experience and scaling innovations through structured policy dialogue, knowledge sharing, and peer learning actions.

The time to act on these priorities is now. UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank are partnering to help drive that action.

Last Updated: Mar 30, 2021

• (BROCHURE, in English) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• (BROCHURE, in French) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• (BROCHURE, in Spanish) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• (BLOG) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• (VIDEO, Arabic) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• (VIDEO, French) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• (VIDEO, Spanish) Mission: Recovering Education 2021
• World Bank Education and COVID-19
• World Bank Blogs on Education

This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience. If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser. To learn more about cookies, click here .

COVID guidelines have changed. Here’s when a sick kid can return to school

As schools reopen for another year, they are focused on improving student attendance. But  back-to-school  is hitting just as COVID-19 cases are increasing , raising the question: When is a child too sick for school?

School absences surged  during the pandemic and have yet to recover. Nearly 1 in 4 students remains chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of the academic year, according to the latest data analyzed by The Associated Press.

One reason for continued high absences: After years of COVID-19 quarantines , parents are more cautious about sending children to school when they might be contagious with an illness.

When a child misses school, even for an excused absence like a sick day, it’s harder for them to  stay on track academically . So schools and health experts are trying to change the culture around sick days.

Here’s what they want parents to know.

COVID guidelines have changed

During the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged people who tested positive for COVID-19 to isolate at home for a set number of days and to quarantine after exposure to the coronavirus. In some settings, people with any mild illness were urged to remain home until symptoms were clear.

Those standards, and the caution behind them,  remained for years  after schools reopened to in-person instruction. That meant children often missed large portions of school after contracting or being exposed to COVID-19 or other illnesses.

This spring, COVID-19 guidance officially changed. Now, the CDC suggests people  treat COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses , such as the flu and RSV.

Fever-free for 24 hours

If a child has a fever, they should stay home, no matter the illness.

A child can return to school when their fever has been gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Other symptoms should be improving.

What about other symptoms?

If a child doesn’t have a fever, it’s OK to send them to class  with some signs of illness , including a runny nose, headache or cough, according to schools and the  American Academy of Pediatrics . If those symptoms aren’t improving or are severe, such as a hacking cough, call your child’s doctor.

The guidance around vomiting and diarrhea varies across school districts. Generally, students should remain home  until symptoms stop , according to American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. Older children may be able to manage  mild diarrhea  at school.

“Unless your student has a fever or threw up in the last 24 hours, you are coming to school. That’s what we want,” said Abigail Arii, director of student support services in Oakland, California.

Guidance from the Los Angeles Unified School District says students can attend school with mild symptoms such as a runny nose or cold, but should stay home if they have vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain or a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) or higher.

School districts across the U.S. have similar guidance, including in  Texas ,  Illinois  and  New York .

When to wear a mask

The CDC says people should  take additional precautions  for five days after returning to school or other normal activities.

Masks and social distancing are no longer mandated but are encouraged to prevent disease spread. Experts also recommend plenty of handwashing and taking steps for cleaner air, such as opening a window or running an air purifier.

School districts say parents should keep up-to-date on all health examinations and immunizations for students so they don’t miss additional days of school.

For more on COVID-19:

• New COVID vaccines are here . What to know about 2024–25 shots as summer surge continues
• COVID can cause mental illness —but being vaccinated helps, new study shows
• The summer COVID surge has arrived.  Here’s the latest on symptoms and treatment
• Got late-summer travel plans?  Here’s where COVID cases are spiking in the U.S.

Latest in Life

Drunk driving gets all the attention but driving while high is also a real problem

This athlete lost the use of her legs 7 years ago. How resilience got her to the Paralympics

Employees who use and abuse marijuana miss more work, new study shows

Walmart recalls apple juice sold in 25 states due to elevated arsenic levels

Chick-fil-A’s banana pudding milkshake is back. You won’t believe how many carbs it has

Does zinc really boost your immunity and metabolism? Experts explain the health benefits

Most popular.

Chick-fil-A’s banana pudding milkshake is back. You won’t believe how much sugar it has

Why this year’s Medicare Annual Notice of Change will be vital reading for beneficiaries

New COVID vaccines are here. What to know about the latest shots as summer surge continues

What you need to know about the deadly listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats

Love is no longer enough. Today’s marriages expect more from partners than ever before

The summer COVID surge has arrived. Here’s the latest on symptoms and treatment

The new COVID vaccine is out. Why you might not want to rush to get it

Many healthy people have immunity from vaccines and previous infection.

This is a KFF Health News story .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an updated COVID-19 shot for everyone 6 months old and up, which renews a now-annual quandary for Americans: Get the shot now, with the latest COVID outbreak sweeping the country, or hold it in reserve for the winter wave?

The new vaccine should provide some protection to everyone. But many healthy people who have already been vaccinated or have immunity because they've been exposed to COVID enough times may want to wait a few months.

COVID has become commonplace. For some, it's a minor illness with few symptoms. Others are laid up with fever, cough, and fatigue for days or weeks. A much smaller group -- mostly older or chronically ill people -- suffer hospitalization or death.

MORE: Free at-home COVID testing program restarting as officials prepare for fall, winter season

It's important for those in high-risk groups to get vaccinated, but vaccine protection wanes after a few months. Those who run to get the new vaccine may be more likely to fall ill this winter when the next wave hits, said William Schaffner, an infectious disease professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a spokesperson for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

On the other hand, by late fall the major variants may have changed, rendering the vaccine less effective, said Peter Marks, the FDA's top vaccine official, at a briefing Aug. 23. He urged everyone eligible to get immunized, noting that the risk of long covid is greater in the un- and undervaccinated.

Of course, if last year's COVID vaccine rollout is any guide, few Americans will heed his advice, even though this summer's surge has been unusually intense, with levels of the COVID virus in wastewater suggesting infections are as widespread as they were in the winter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now looks to wastewater as fewer people are reporting test results to health authorities. The wastewater data shows the epidemic is worst in Western and Southern states. In New York, for example, levels are considered "high" compared with "very high" in Georgia.

Hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID have trended up, too. But unlike infections, these rates are nowhere near those seen in winter surges, or in summers past. More than 2,000 people died of COVID in July -- a high number but a small fraction of the at least 25,700 COVID deaths in July 2020.

Partial immunity built up through vaccines and prior infections deserves credit for this relief. A new study suggests that current variants may be less virulent -- in the study, one of the recent variants   did not kill mice   exposed to it, unlike most earlier COVID variants.

Public health officials note that even with more cases this summer, people seem to be managing their sickness at home. "We did see a little rise in the number of cases, but it didn't have a significant impact in terms of hospitalizations and emergency room visits," said Manisha Juthani, public health commissioner of Connecticut, at a news briefing Aug. 21.

Unlike influenza or traditional cold viruses, CIVUD seems to thrive outside the cold months, when germy schoolkids, dry air, and indoor activities are thought to enable the spread of air- and saliva-borne viruses. No one is exactly sure why.

"COVID is still very transmissible, very new, and people congregate inside in air-conditioned rooms during the summer," said John Moore, a virologist and professor at Cornell University's Weill Cornell Medicine College.

Or "maybe COVID is more tolerant of humidity or other environmental conditions in the summer," said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University.

MORE: What to know about the updated COVID vaccines coming this fall

Because viruses evolve as they infect people, the CDC has recommended updated COVID vaccines each year. Last fall's booster was designed to target the omicron variant circulating in 2023. This year, mRNA vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer and the protein-based vaccine from Novavax -- which has yet to be approved by the FDA -- target a more recent omicron variant, JN.1.

The FDA determined that the mRNA vaccines strongly protected people from severe disease and death -- and would do so even though earlier variants of JN.1 are now being overtaken by others.

Public interest in COVID vaccines has waned, with only one in five adults getting vaccinated since last September, compared with about 80% who got the first dose. New Yorkers have been slightly above the national vaccination rate, while in Georgia only about 17% got the latest shot.

Vaccine uptake is lower in states where the majority voted for Donald Trump in 2020 and among those who have less money and education, less health care access, or less time off from work. These groups are also more likely to be hospitalized or die of the disease, according to a 2023 study in The Lancet.

While the newly formulated vaccines are better targeted at the circulating COVID variants, uninsured and underinsured Americans may have to rush if they hope to get one for free. A CDC program that provided boosters to 1.5 million people over the last year ran out of money and is ending Aug. 31.

The agency drummed up $62 million in unspent funds to pay state and local health departments to provide the new shots to those not covered by insurance. But "that may not go very far" if the vaccine costs the agency around $86 a dose, as it did last year, said Kelly Moore, CEO of Immunize.org, which advocates for vaccination.

People who pay out-of-pocket at pharmacies face higher prices: CVS plans to sell the updated vaccine for $201.99, said Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for the company.

"Price can be a barrier, access can be a barrier" to vaccination, said David Scales, an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Without an access program that provides vaccines to uninsured adults, "we'll see disparities in health outcomes and disproportionate outbreaks in the working poor, who can ill afford to take off work," Kelly Moore said.

New York state has about $1 million to fill the gaps when the CDC's program ends, said Danielle De Souza, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Health. That will buy around 12,500 doses for uninsured and underinsured adults, she said. There are roughly one million uninsured people in the state.

CDC and FDA experts last year decided to promote annual fall vaccination against COVID and influenza along with a one-time respiratory syncytial virus shot for some groups.

It would be impractical for the vaccine-makers to change the COVID vaccine's recipe twice every year, and offering the three vaccines during one or two health care visits appears to be the best way to increase uptake of all of them, said Schaffner, who consults for the CDC's policy-setting Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

At its next meeting, in October, the committee is likely to urge vulnerable people to get a second dose of the same COVID vaccine in the spring, for protection against the next summer wave, he said.

If you're in a vulnerable population and waiting to get vaccinated until closer to the holiday season, Schaffner said, it makes sense to wear a mask and avoid big crowds, and to get a test if you think you have COVID. If positive, people in these groups should seek medical attention since the antiviral pill Paxlovid might ameliorate their symptoms and keep them out of the hospital.

MORE: As students head back to class, are schools ready to handle COVID-19?

As for conscientious others who feel they may be sick and don't want to spread the COVID virus, the best advice is to get a single test and, if positive, try to isolate for a few days and then wear a mask for several days while avoiding crowded rooms. Repeat testing after a positive result is pointless, since viral particles in the nose may remain for days without signifying a risk of infecting others, Schaffner said.

The Health and Human Services Department is making four free COVID tests available to anyone who requests them starting in late September through covidtest.gov, said Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response, at the Aug. 23 briefing.

The government is focusing its fall vaccine advocacy campaign, which it's calling "Risk less, live more," on older people and nursing home residents, said HHS spokesperson Jeff Nesbit.

Not everyone may really need a fall COVID booster, but "it's not wrong to give people options," John Moore said. "The 20-year-old athlete is less at risk than the 70-year-old overweight dude. It's as simple as that."

KFF Health News correspondent Amy Maxmen contributed to this report.

Related Topics

• COVID-19 Vaccine
• Coronavirus

Popular Reads

Ex-MLB star's daughter found after going missing

• Aug 27, 8:43 AM

Trump charged in Jan. 6 superseding indictment

• Aug 27, 6:25 PM

Female student at Rice University killed

• Aug 27, 12:11 AM

SpaceX mission delayed again due to weather

• Aug 28, 2:20 PM

High interest rates make it hard to buy a home

• Aug 26, 5:50 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election results
• Google trends
• AP & Elections
• U.S. Open Tennis
• Paralympic Games
• College football
• Auto Racing
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Got cold symptoms? Here’s when kids should take a sick day from school

An AP analysis of data from 40 states and DC shows school absenteeism got worse in each one except Arkansas from 2018-2022.

FILE - Fifth graders wearing face masks are seated at proper social distancing during a music class at the Milton Elementary School in Rye, N.Y., May 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

• Copy Link copied

PHOENIX (AP) — As schools reopen for another year, they are focused on improving student attendance. But back-to-school is hitting just as COVID-19 cases are increasing, raising the question: When is a child too sick for school?

School absences surged during the pandemic and have yet to recover. Nearly 1 in 4 students remains chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of the academic year, according to the latest data analyzed by The Associated Press.

One reason for continued high absences: After years of COVID-19 quarantines, parents are more cautious about sending children to school when they might be contagious with an illness.

When a child misses school, even for an excused absence like a sick day, it’s harder for them to stay on track academically . So schools and health experts are trying to change the culture around sick days.

Here’s what they want parents to know.

COVID guidelines have changed

During the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged people who tested positive for COVID-19 to isolate at home for a set number of days and to quarantine after exposure to the coronavirus. In some settings, people with any mild illness were urged to remain home until symptoms were clear.

Those standards, and the caution behind them, remained for years after schools reopened to in-person instruction. That meant children often missed large portions of school after contracting or being exposed to COVID-19 or other illnesses.

This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.

This spring, COVID-19 guidance officially changed. Now, the CDC suggests people treat COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses , such as the flu and RSV.

Fever-free for 24 hours

If a child has a fever, they should stay home, no matter the illness.

A child can return to school when their fever has been gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Other symptoms should be improving.

What about other symptoms?

If a child doesn’t have a fever, it’s OK to send them to class with some signs of illness , including a runny nose, headache or cough, according to schools and the American Academy of Pediatrics . If those symptoms aren’t improving or are severe, such as a hacking cough, call your child’s doctor.

The guidance around vomiting and diarrhea varies across school districts. Generally, students should remain home until symptoms stop , according to American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. Older children may be able to manage mild diarrhea at school.

“Unless your student has a fever or threw up in the last 24 hours, you are coming to school. That’s what we want,” said Abigail Arii, director of student support services in Oakland, California.

Guidance from the Los Angeles Unified School District says students can attend school with mild symptoms such as a runny nose or cold, but should stay home if they have vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain or a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) or higher.

School districts across the U.S. have similar guidance, including in Texas , Illinois and New York .

When to wear a mask

The CDC says people should take additional precautions for five days after returning to school or other normal activities.

Masks and social distancing are no longer mandated but are encouraged to prevent disease spread. Experts also recommend plenty of handwashing and taking steps for cleaner air, such as opening a window or running an air purifier.

School districts say parents should keep up-to-date on all health examinations and immunizations for students so they don’t miss additional days of school.

AP Education Writer Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco contributed.

This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well .

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health and Engineering
• Epidemiology
• Health Policy and Management
• Health, Behavior and Society
• International Health
• Mental Health
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Program Finder
• Admissions Services
• Course Directory
• Academic Calendar
• Hybrid Campus
• Lecture Series
• Convocation
• Strategy and Development
• Implementation and Impact
• Integrity and Oversight
• In the School
• In the Field
• In Baltimore
• Resources for Practitioners
• Articles & News Releases
• In The News
• Statements & Announcements
• At a Glance
• Student Life
• Strategic Priorities
• Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE)
• What is Public Health?

What to Know About the Updated COVID Vaccine for Fall, Winter 2024–25

The updated COVID vaccine provides safe, effective protection against current variants for everyone 6 months and older.

Aliza Rosen

Amid an unexpectedly large surge of summer COVID infections in the U.S., and with the fall/winter virus season around the corner, updated COVID vaccines have arrived.

COVID vaccines are one of the best and safest ways to protect against severe illness and hospitalization. Updated COVID vaccines are chosen to target the variants currently circulating and are recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

In this Q&A, Andy Pekosz , PhD, a professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology , discusses who the updated vaccine is recommended for, when to get yours, whether it’s safe to get it alongside other seasonal vaccines.

What’s new about this year’s updated COVID vaccines?

The updated mRNA COVID vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are based on the KP.2 strain, one of the FLiRT variants that have been spreading since early spring. These variants and their sub-variants have caused the majority of infections during this summer’s COVID wave.

Who should be getting an updated COVID vaccine?

Everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated against COVID, according to the CDC’s recommendations .

For children ages 6 months to 4 years: Vaccination is recommended, but the number of vaccinations is based on which vaccine they receive, their age, and whether they’ve received a previous COVID vaccine. Parents and guardians should refer to CDC guidance and check with their pediatrician to see what’s recommended for their child.

For people ages 5 years and up: One dose of the updated COVID vaccine is recommended, regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated previously. If someone has received a COVID vaccine recently, they should wait at least two months before getting the updated one for this season.

According to updated CDC guidelines, individuals who are immunocompromised may receive additional doses with their health care provider’s guidance.

When is the best time to get vaccinated?

This summer’s surge has been larger and lasted longer than many experts anticipated, making it a little trickier than years past to determine the best time to get vaccinated.

People who have not had COVID in the past few months have a couple options:

• Get the updated COVID vaccine as soon as it’s available  (late August, early September) to protect yourself as the wave of summer infections continues.
• Get the updated COVID vaccine around mid-October to build protection in time for the rise of cases that typically occur around November through January.

People at higher risk of severe illness should consider getting an updated COVID vaccine as soon as possible. Everyone who is eligible should get an updated COVID vaccine by mid-October in order to build immunity ahead of holiday travel and gatherings. Remember, it takes about two weeks to build up immunity following a vaccine, so schedule your vaccination accordingly.

How long does protection last after I'm vaccinated?

Broadly speaking, the COVID vaccine provides strong protection against infection for up to three months and protection against severe disease out to six months. That said, there are a lot of variables that can affect duration and strength of protection, including any new variants that may emerge and how different they are from the vaccine formulation.

If I had COVID recently, when should I get the updated vaccine?

If you’ve had COVID this summer, you’ll have strong infection-based immunity and can wait a few months after your infection before getting the vaccine. According to the CDC, you can wait three months since your symptoms began or, for asymptomatic cases, since you first tested positive.

There’s some evidence to support waiting as long as six months after a COVID infection to receive an updated vaccine. Waiting longer than the CDC’s guidance of three months is not recommended for high-risk groups, but it’s something people can discuss with their doctor.

How should I choose which COVID vaccine to get?

Between the two mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, there is no reason to get one over the other. They target the same KP.2 variant, are similarly effective, and elicit similar side effects.

Is the COVID vaccine free?

The COVID vaccine is free under most health insurance plans and Medicare.

If you don’t have insurance to cover the cost of the COVID vaccine, look for vaccination clinics run by your local or state health department. Children under 18 may also be eligible to get a free COVID vaccine through the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program .

You can find local pharmacies offering COVID vaccines at Vaccines.gov or by contacting your health care provider or local health department.

Are there any side effects to the updated COVID vaccine?

The common side effects are the same as with previous COVID vaccines. Symptoms like soreness at the injection site, achiness or joint pain, fatigue, slight fever, chills, or nausea are normal and not cause for concern. These side effects are a sign that your body is mounting an immune response—exactly what it’s supposed to do following a vaccine. Side effects generally subside within a day or two.

If I haven’t gotten any COVID vaccines yet, can I start with this one?

If you’ve never been vaccinated against COVID, now is a great time to start. People 5 years of age and older are considered up to date on COVID vaccination once they receive one dose of an updated mRNA COVID vaccine.

How well does the vaccine protect against the variants currently circulating?

The vaccine is a close match to variants currently circulating and provides good protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. While KP.2 is not causing a significant number of infections, the most prevalent variants circulating right now are very closely related to them. The vaccine will never be a perfect match to the circulating variants because it takes 2-4 months to make the vaccine, and during that time the virus continues to change as it infects people.

Is vaccine-induced immunity better than immunity from infection?

Vaccine-induced immunity is better because it’s safer. When you get infected with COVID, symptoms from the infection wreak havoc on your body. Whether or not you’ve been infected or vaccinated previously, the updated COVID vaccine is going to strengthen your immune responses to high levels and do so in a safe way.

Can I still get COVID if I’m vaccinated?

People who are vaccinated can still get COVID, but it is much more likely they will experience mild symptoms. Vaccinated people are much less likely to experience severe illness or get so sick that they need to be hospitalized. Data continue to show that those who are hospitalized with COVID are largely people who have not received a COVID vaccine within the past 12 months.

Particularly for people at higher risk of severe COVID, vaccination is an essential tool for reducing COVID complications, hospitalization, and death.

Can you get the flu shot and the COVID vaccine at the same time?

Yes! In fact, studies have shown that people who decide to spread out their vaccines into separate appointments often don’t follow through with getting both. We’ve also seen that the immune response generated by each vaccine does not change based on whether they are administered at the same time or separately.

It’s important to remember that many of the same populations at high risk of experiencing severe illness from COVID are also at high risk of severe influenza. Especially for these vulnerable populations, it’s a good idea to time your vaccines together.

When might we see a combined COVID and flu vaccine?

Some vaccine manufacturers have been working on developing a combined vaccine for COVID and flu, but we’re not there yet. We certainly won’t see a combined vaccine this year. It’s possible one will be ready in time for fall 2025, but we won’t know for sure until more clinical trial results are available.  

Aliza Rosen is a digital content strategist in the Office of External Affairs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Related Articles:

• Understanding the CDC’s Updated COVID Isolation Guidance
• What to Know About COVID FLiRT Variants
• The Long History of mRNA Vaccines

Related Content

A ‘Critical Pathogen’: The Rise of Drug-Resistant Fungal Diseases

Why We’re Still Waiting for a Pandemic Treaty

Why COVID Surges in the Summer

The Visible and Unseen Dangers Lurking in Floodwater

Public Health Prep for the 2024 Paris Olympics

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

• Virtual Tour
• Staff Directory
• En Español

You are here

News releases.

News Release

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

NIH-funded study finds long COVID affects adolescents differently than younger children

Adolescents were most likely to experience low energy/tiredness while children were most likely to report headache.

Scientists investigating long COVID in youth found similar but distinguishable patterns between school-age children (ages 6-11 years) and adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and identified their most common symptoms. The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in JAMA , comes from research conducted through the NIH’s Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative , a wide-reaching effort to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent long COVID, a condition marked by symptoms and health problems that linger after an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Children and adolescents were found to experience prolonged symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection in almost every organ system with most having symptoms affecting more than one system.

“Most research characterizing long COVID symptoms is focused on adults, which can lead to the misperception that long COVID in children is rare or that their symptoms are like those of adults,” said David Goff, M.D., Ph.D., division director for the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Because the symptoms can vary from child to child or present in different patterns, without a proper characterization of symptoms across the life span, it’s difficult to know how to optimize care for affected children and adolescents.”

The observational study included 3,860 children and adolescents with a SARS-CoV-2 infection history at more than 60 sites across the United States between March 2022 and December 2023. A comparison group of 1,516 children and adolescents with no history of a SARS-CoV-2 infection were also included to disentangle whether prolonged symptoms of those who had experienced COVID-19 were related to SARS-CoV-2 itself or more broadly related to the effects of the pandemic.

Caregivers completed a comprehensive symptom survey that asked about 75 prolonged symptoms in all major body systems that occurred at least 90 days after an initial SARS-CoV-2 infection and lasted for at least a month. They also completed a survey asking for their perception of the child’s overall health, physical health, and quality of life. The researchers then employed a commonly used statistical technique to identify which symptoms were best at differentiating participants who did and did not have history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. They identified combinations of symptoms distinct for each age group that together generated a long COVID research index, which indicates the likely condition of long COVID.

Researchers identified 18 prolonged symptoms that were more common in school-age children, including headache (57%), followed by trouble with memory or focusing (44%), trouble sleeping (44%), and stomach pain (43%). Other common symptoms in school-age children not included in the research index included body, muscle, and joint pain; daytime tiredness/sleepiness or low energy; and feeling anxious.

In adolescents, 17 symptoms were more common, including daytime tiredness/sleepiness or low energy (80%); body, muscle, or joint pain (60%); headaches (55%); and trouble with memory or focusing (47%). Feeling anxious and trouble sleeping were other commonly reported symptoms that were not included in the research index.

“The symptoms that make up the research index are not the only symptoms a child may have and they’re not the most severe, but they are most predictive in determining who may have long COVID,” said Rachel Gross, M.D., associate professor in the departments of pediatrics and population health at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and lead author on the study.

Fourteen symptoms overlapped between the age groups. Comparing previous research on long COVID in adults, the new study found that adults and adolescents had a greater overlap in symptoms, such as loss of or change in smell or taste. Researchers found less overlap between adults and school-age children, underscoring the importance of age-based long COVID research.

The study identified separate research indexes for school-age children and adolescents along with overlapping, but distinguishable symptom patterns in each group. Of the 751 school-age children that had COVID-19, 20% met the long COVID research index threshold. Of the 3,109 adolescent children with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 14% met the research index threshold, though researchers noted that these numbers should not be used as measures of incidence in the general population, since their study may have included more children with long COVID than the overall population.

Scientists note that the research index provides a framework for looking at common symptoms for research purposes – not necessarily as a guide for clinical care – and will likely be refined as researchers study more children with and without long COVID.

“Our next step is to study children ages 5 years and younger so we can better understand long COVID in the very young,” said Gross.

In compliance with NIH’s Data Sharing and Management Policy, a dataset containing RECOVER Pediatric Observational Cohort Study data collected through June 15, 2024 – which includes data used for this publication – will be released on NHLBI BioData Catalyst® this fall.

Research reported in this press release was supported by NIH under award numbers OT2HL161841, OT2HL161847, and OT2HL156812. Additional support came from grant R01 HL162373. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. For more information on RECOVER, visit https://recovercovid.org .              

HHS Long COVID Coordination:  This work is a part of the  National Research Action Plan  (PDF, 1.3 MB), a broader government-wide effort in response to the  Presidential Memorandum  directing the Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services to mount a full and effective response to Long COVID. Led by Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, the Plan and its companion  Services and Supports for Longer-term Impacts of COVID-19 report  (PDF, 1.6 MB) lay the groundwork to advance progress in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and provision of services for individuals experiencing Long COVID.

About RECOVER:  The National Institutes of Health Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (NIH RECOVER) Initiative brings together clinicians, scientists, caregivers, patients, and community members to understand, diagnose, and treat long COVID. RECOVER has created one of the largest and most diverse groups of Long COVID study participants in the world. In addition, RECOVER clinical trials are testing potential interventions across five symptom focus areas. For more information, please visit  recoverCOVID.org .

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov .

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health ®

Gross RS, Thaweethai T, Kleinman LC, et al. Characterizing Long COVID in Children and Adolescents: RECOVER Pediatric Study . Journal of the American Medical Association. 2024. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.12747

Connect with Us

• More Social Media from NIH