At an Arizona child-care center, Children make “airplane arms” to stay socially distant. Credit: Valley of the Sun YMCA

Going to School — in person, not virtually — is important for children’s development and well-being, say pediatricians. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement calling for schools to reopen in the fall, reports Anya Kamenetz on NPR.

. . . the AAP argues that based on the nation’s experience this spring, remote learning is likely to result in severe learning loss and increased Social Isolation. Social isolation, in turn, can breed serious social, emotional and health issues: “child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation.” Furthermore, these impacts will be visited more severely on Black and brown children, as well as low-income children and those with learning disabilities.

It’s better to let elementary students sit closer than six feet apart, without masks, than to return to remote learning, the guidance suggests.

“The AAP cites ‘mounting evidence’ that transmission of the coronavirus by young children is uncommon, partly because they are less likely to contract it in the first place,” writes Kamenetz.

In another story, she looks at child-care centers that stayed open to care for essential workers’ children.

. . . YMCA of the USA and New York City’s Department of Education have been caring for, collectively, tens of thousands of children since March, and both tell NPR they have no reports of coronavirus clusters or outbreaks.

In a separate, unscientific survey of child care centers, Brown University economist Emily Oster found that, as of Tuesday afternoon, among 916 centers serving more than 20,000 children, just over 1% of staff and 0.16% of children were confirmed infected with the coronavirus.

Reason‘s Robby Soave also makes the case for reopening schools with minimal, common-sense safety rules, following Europe’s lead.

I agree — but I wonder how many teachers and parents will go for it. People are demanding absolute safety, as though life can be risk free.