How safe is it for children to be back in classrooms as COVID cases rise?

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Let's bring another voice into this conversation - U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Thank you so much for being with us.

VIVEK MURTHY: Of course. Happy to be with you today, Rachel.

MARTIN: Happy New Year to you.

MURTHY: Happy New Year.

MARTIN: New Year, same challenge. For a lot of people, it doesn't feel great to be enduring another winter of COVID isolation¹. But I do think it's important to start our conversation by acknowledging that we are not in the same place as we were in January of 2021, right?

MURTHY: You're exactly right, Rachel. And let me just say, I know many people are feeling some deja vu. It does feel like we're - keep going through these waves. And that's taking a toll² on many people and on their mental health and well-being³. So let's just talk for a moment about where we are and why it's different, though. You know, cases are at their highest point, and we are seeing hospitalizations tick up. We should anticipate the next few weeks will be tough, and we will see some high numbers of cases continue, and this may cause some strain in the services around us, like in the health care system.

But here is why this is different and why I believe there are some hopeful signs. No. 1 - the more and more data we see is pointing to omicron being less severe. We can't say that yet with 100% certainty, but it's looking good based on data from other countries and now increasingly from the U.S. The second is we're also seeing that omicron has peaked in South Africa and in the U.K. with a rapid rise but then a rapid decline in cases, and that gives us some hope that we may see, in the U.S., a quick rise and hopefully a quick fall. But the big thing - and this is what's quite different from last year - is our vaccines⁴ are proving that they work to save lives and to keep people out of the hospital. The vast majority of the people in the hospital for COVID right now, as in prior waves, are unvaccinated.

And finally, let's just keep in mind that - we learned over the last year that the same tools that worked to help us gather with loved ones over the holiday and engage in some of the activities we loved, they still work to help keep us safe, like good quality masks and gathering⁶ in places that have good ventilation. So this is a time to double-down on our precautions, no doubt, to get vaccinated⁵ and boosted if you're not, but we are in a much different place than we were a year ago. We have more tools in our toolbox.

MARTIN: Let's talk about testing, what Allison and I were just discussing. Right now the CDC guidance says you don't have to isolate⁷ as long if you get COVID. But why isn't there a testing recommendation, too - to get out of quarantine, you'd need to have a negative test result?

MURTHY: Yeah, so great question. So let's just - I want to make sure that we define this. So the CDC gave some new guidance on both isolation and quarantine. It was the isolation guidance that received the most attention. And specifically, isolation is that period of time after you test positive where you avoid contact with other people to protect them. That period had been 10 days. And what the CDC put forward is guidance to shorten it to five days.

Now, they did this in part based on evolving science, in part based on the need to protect and guard the public health and safety, you know, of the public. They have received a lot of feedback, you know, and certainly heard, you know, from, you know, folks that - questions about whether or not testing should be implemented⁹ at that five-day mark, before people come out of quarantine. And that's something that they're actively¹⁰ looking at and considering, and they'll issue a clarification on their guidance over the next few days.

But keep in mind, this guidance applies to people who are asymptomatic. So if you are still having symptoms, if you're still feeling unwell at Day 5 or 6, you should continue to isolate for the full 10-day period. And also, even if you do come out of isolation at that five days, it's really important that you wear a mask for the next five days, especially when you're around other people, and that's to help protect them if you are one of the small portion of people who's still infectious at that stage.

MARTIN: We got to talk about schools. This week, schools are reopening after the holiday break. Dr. Anthony Fauci has said schools should stay open. President Biden has said schools should stay open. But some of them are going virtual or thinking about going hybrid¹¹. Is that an overcorrection?

MURTHY: Well, this is really the question of the moment about schools because - and the issue of the moment for many families. And I know how stressful this time can be as a parent. My wife and I have two small children who are in school. One is vaccinated; the other is too young to be vaccinated. So we're always thinking about how to optimize¹² our kids' learning and development but also look out for their safety. Look; our collective goal as a society is to make sure that schools stay open safely.

MARTIN: Yeah.

MURTHY: We know how essential that is for kids' development.

MARTIN: Just seconds left.

MURTHY: And the good news is that we know what safety measures work to reduce risk. Getting our kids vaccinated helps. Masks and ventilation, surveillance, testing helps. Now, in the next few weeks, there will be - it will be challenging for some schools, given the rise in cases. We know some schools...

MARTIN: Yeah.

MURTHY: ...May have to make temporary emergency decisions based on their staffing in particular. But our goal should be to make sure that these disruptions are short lived and we can get our kids back to school safety. Our best chance of doing that is to implement⁸ the mitigation measures that we know have worked to get our kids vaccinated.

MARTIN: Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Thank you for your time.

MURTHY: Thank you so much, Rachel. Take care and stay safe.

MARTIN: You, too.

1 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

4 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

5 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

9 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

10 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

11 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

12 optimize   

v.使优化 [=optimise]

参考例句：

• We should optimize the composition of the Standing Committees.优化人大常委会组成人员的结构。
• We should optimize our import mix and focus on bringing in advanced technology and key equipment.优化进口结构，着重引进先进技术和关键设备。