Biden Covid Adviser Says He Doesn’t Support Opening School Due to New ‘Variants’

GEIST Dr Osterholm as ░░░░░░░░ know well I m ░░░░░░░░ you re asked about ░░░░░░░░ every day parental outrage ░░░░░░░░ boiling over about what ░░░░░░░░ going on with schools ░░░░░░░░ the fact that so ░░░░░░░░ kids either aren t ░░░░░░░░ school at all or ░░░░░░░░ re remote or they ░░░░░░░░ in part of the ░░░░░░░░ on a staggered schedule ░░░░░░░░ are you on schools ░░░░░░░░ now After a year ░░░░░░░░ this some kids have ░░░░░░░░ touch with their schools ░░░░░░░░ haven t heard from ░░░░░░░░ in a year or ░░░░░░░░ some kids don t ░░░░░░░░ Wi Fi or iPads ░░░░░░░░ know the damage that ░░░░░░░░ is doing the toll ░░░░░░░░ will take on their ░░░░░░░░ Should schools be open ░░░░░░░░ s been some talk ░░░░░░░░ the CDC may come ░░░░░░░░ as soon as today ░░░░░░░░ announce that the distance ░░░░░░░░ only needs to be ░░░░░░░░ feet between people and ░░░░░░░░ 6 feet That would ░░░░░░░░ an impact on schools ░░░░░░░░ are you on our ░░░░░░░░ right now Osterholm First ░░░░░░░░ all let me start ░░░░░░░░ as a grandfather of ░░░░░░░░ school aged children I ░░░░░░░░ understand more than you ░░░░░░░░ know how important it ░░░░░░░░ to have kids in ░░░░░░░░ I actually have supported ░░░░░░░░ openings particularly for those ░░░░░░░░ eighth grade and younger ░░░░░░░░ the epidemiology or the ░░░░░░░░ of disease that we ░░░░░░░░ in grade school suggests ░░░░░░░░ the kids transmit the ░░░░░░░░ very little They themselves ░░░░░░░░ infected less than we ░░░░░░░░ in the general population ░░░░░░░░ teachers were not really ░░░░░░░░ increased risk And then ░░░░░░░░ variants came B 117 ░░░░░░░░ Europe was actually picked ░░░░░░░░ because even when in ░░░░░░░░ lockdown when the schools ░░░░░░░░ still open the virus ░░░░░░░░ dramatically and guess what ░░░░░░░░ were the number one ░░░░░░░░ of spread So we ░░░░░░░░ now confronted with this ░░░░░░░░ fact that this particular ░░░░░░░░ does infect kids In ░░░░░░░░ we have a large ░░░░░░░░ going on right now ░░░░░░░░ in Minnesota largely based ░░░░░░░░ school aged children which ░░░░░░░░ spills over into the ░░░░░░░░ and grandparents So I ░░░░░░░░ we re in a ░░░░░░░░ ball game I think ░░░░░░░░ would be a major ░░░░░░░░ if CDC changes their ░░░░░░░░ right now for school ░░░░░░░░ It would be based ░░░░░░░░ a single study which ░░░░░░░░ many many challenges and ░░░░░░░░ with that study If ░░░░░░░░ know anything about viruses ░░░░░░░░ idea that you can ░░░░░░░░ a virus like this ░░░░░░░░ being transmitted at 3 ░░░░░░░░ I can probably move ░░░░░░░░ Grand Canyon to Fargo ░░░░░░░░ than to convince many ░░░░░░░░ us in this area ░░░░░░░░ that s actually real ░░░░░░░░ All right Dr Mike ░░░░░░░░ I know we ll ░░░░░░░░ hearing much more from ░░░░░░░░ over the next days ░░░░░░░░ weeks Thanks for being ░░░░░░░░ Always good to talk ░░░░░░░░ you.”