As students return to school in the new year, districts are scrambling to adjust to the surge in Covid cases

School districts across the US have diverged in their plans to return post-holidays this week as Omicron case numbers continue to surge.

While there is an intent across the board to have in-person learning, some districts have closed or shifted online in part due to staffing shortages. Others are delaying the return to allow for test pickup. Most are opening without incident. 

More than 2,100 schools across the country have shifted to remote learning or delayed their return, according to data company Burbio, which aggregates closure information based on school calendars and other sources.

Here’s a sampling of the varying responses across some of the larger districts:

Shifting to online:

Delaying return:

Opening as scheduled:

The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine boosters for children ages 12 to 15.

The agency also shortened the time needed between an initial series of vaccine and a booster from at least six months after completion of an initial series to at least five months for everyone 12 and older.

Pfizer’s booster dose contains the same amount of the vaccine as the initial doses: 30 micrograms.

Adolescents in this age group became eligible to receive their initial series of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in mid-May, opening vaccinations up to about 17 million additional people.

Now, about half of the populations aged 12 to 15 – about 8.7 million – is fully vaccinated, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 5 million of them have been fully vaccinated for more than five months and are now eligible to receive a booster shot.

Children in this age group represent about 5% of the total US population. They account for about 4% of the fully vaccinated population in the US and about 3% of those eligible to receive a booster shot, according to the latest CDC data.

In October, the CDC recommended that everyone age 16 and up who completed their initial series of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago receive a booster shot, along with those who received their initial Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago. 

The FDA also authorized a third dose as part of the primary series for certain immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11, including those who have received an organ transplant.

Overall, about 68.8 million people are fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19. That’s less than half of the nearly 180 million people who are eligible to receive their booster shot and about a fifth of the total US population. And at least 69 million people ages 5 and up have not received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest CDC data.

Do you have a sore throat, a runny nose and muscle aches? It could be a common cold, a case of the flu – or Covid-19.

The illnesses all share similar symptoms, sometimes making it hard to distinguish which is putting you under the weather.

Case rates of Covid-19 have been on the rise as the Omicron variant has spread, but hospitalization numbers appear to be staying relatively low. For vaccinated people, evidence suggests that infection with this variant seems less likely to be severe, epidemiologist and former Detroit Health Department executive director, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed said.

That does not mean, however, that infections shouldn’t be taken seriously, he added, especially when considering the risk of overwhelming health care systems.

“Just because the per-individual risk of severe illness may be lower, that doesn’t mean on a societal level Omicron doesn’t pose a real risk,” he said. “Even a small proportion of a relatively large number can be a relatively large number.”

Many Covid-19 infections may look like a cold or flu. The best way to know is to get a test, said Dr. Sarah Ash Combs, attending physician at Children’s National Hospital.

“Short of getting a test, I would say it’s really tricky to distinguish right now,” Combs said. “We need to just treat cold-ish symptoms in pretty much the same bucket” as Covid-19.

What symptoms to look for:

Early signs of cold, flu and Covid-19 tend to be similar, El-Sayed said.

Both Covid-19 and the flu often cause symptoms such as fever, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, shortness of breath and vomiting or diarrhea, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Covid-19 infection can be distinguished, however, by the headache and dry cough that often go along with it. The loss of taste and smell that has been the biggest warning sign of a Covid-19 infection is still a possible symptom, though it is less prevalent now than it has been with other variants, El-Sayed said.

“For people who are feeling serious chest pain, particularly with a dry cough that has gotten worse, that’s when you really ought to seek medical attention,” he warned.

The most important factor to consider is exposure.

“If you are starting to feel any of these symptoms, it’s worth asking: Has anybody with whom I’ve come into contact been infected with Covid? It’s also worth isolating and taking a rapid test,” he advised.

Even if you’re not feeling symptoms yet, it may be best to exercise caution if you have been around someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

“I do think it is worth keeping a high suspicion that it could be Covid considering that we have the Omicron variant spreading like wildfire,” El-Sayed added.

At this point, it is safest to treat all cold symptoms carefully, Combs said.

When to test for Covid-19:

It is often good to address your suspicions of Covid-19 by taking a test, although when you do it makes a difference.

If you are feeling symptoms, now is the time to take a test, El-Sayed said.

For those who have been exposed but aren’t feeling symptoms, there is a possibility that the virus hasn’t developed enough to show up on a rapid test, he explained. In those cases, it is best to wait five days after exposure before testing and to remain on the lookout, according to the CDC.

Whether it is Covid-19 or the common cold, it has always been a good idea to isolate while you fight a viral illness, he said. It has become even more important with the risk of spread increasing with Covid-19.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivered a clear message Monday morning that even amid an Omicron surge, when it pertains to schools, “we’re staying open.”

City officials touted the success of 1.5 million test kits delivered across the NYC Department of Education system over the weekend and announced a Covid command center to help educators escalate concerns, such as staffing, as students returned to school for the first day of the new year.

Adams and School chancellor David C. Banks, among others, gathered to welcome students back to school on the first day back in the new year at Concourse Village Elementary school in the Bronx. 

“Schools play a role of safety and stability for our children,” he said.

Adams emphasized the city “took over 1.5 million test kits,” and mobilized educators and placed test kits in every school in the DOE.

“Seamless coordination of how city agencies are supposed to come together to do what I say all the time, and what my administration is going to be known for, “GSD,” Get Stuff Done.”

Adams acknowledged there remain questions about testing and staffing saying “there’s a lot of questions, but we’re going to turn those question marks into an exclamation point, we’re staying open.”

Chancellor Banks said officials are monitoring all staffing issues, have shored up a sub-pool and a fully developed pool of paraprofessionals, and that all central staff is “ready to go.”

When asked about staffing he said, “all indications are that we’re in a pretty good place right now, we’ll be prepared to make whatever adjustments are needed.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the pressure on hospitals “is going to be considerable in the course of the next couple of weeks, and maybe more,” as Omicron cases surge.

The majority of people in the intensive care unit have not been vaccinated and “about 90%” have not received a booster dose, he told reporters on Monday, urging citizens to “get boosted”.

Despite all this, Johnson has resisted following the other UK nations in imposing restrictions on large gatherings to curb the spread. 

“I think the way forward for the country as a whole is to continue with the path that we’re on,” he said. 

“We’ll keep everything under review, of course we keep all measures under review. But the mixture of things that we’re doing at the moment is, I think, the right one.”

Johnson asked people to take England’s current measures “seriously,” which include working from home where possible, wearing a mask on public transport and taking a lateral flow test before meeting up with others. 

From Monday, students in secondary schools and above are advised to wear masks. 

Johnson also cast doubt over reducing the self-isolation period from seven days to five, in line with new US guidelines. 

“The risk is you increase the numbers of people going back into the workplace who are infectious by a factor of three, so you might perversely have a negative effect on the workforce. That’s the argument we’re looking at,” he said.

As students return to school from winter break, teachers and staff at all schools in Los Angeles County will be required to wear surgical grade or higher level masks, according to updated guidance from the LA County Public Health Department.

The county will also require masks for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is not possible, except while eating or drinking, according to guidance posted Jan. 1. The county recommends students wear well-fitting thick masks with a nose wire. Additionally, the department recommends eligible students and staff get their booster vaccine dose. 

The public health department reported at least 21,200 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, noting the number can change due to the weekend reporting lag. The number of positive cases increased exponentially in recent weeks. On Friday, the county reported the “highest number of new Covid-19 cases,” with 27,091 infections. For the same date in 2020, the county had 15,129 new cases. However, more deaths were recorded last year – 290 people died on New Year’s Eve in 2020 compared with 12 last Friday. 

“During this surge, given the spread of a more infectious strain of the virus, lapses can lead to explosive transmission,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer cautioned in a news release Sunday. 

Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the county’s biggest district and the nation’s second largest school system, will return from break next week.

Concerns are growing about the impact the virus could have over the next several weeks as US students return to school.

In Atlanta, at least five metro-area school districts will begin with remote learning this week, as students prepare to return from the holiday break amid rising cases in the region. And in Washington, DC, public schools will be closed until Thursday as a winter storm thwarted plans for students and staff to pick up Covid-19 tests on Monday.

Other school officials are also changing their Covid-19 policies due to the explosion of the Omicron variant. Miami-Dade County Public Schools is requiring all adults entering its buildings and buses to wear masks upon return and has strongly encouraged students to wear masks as well.

Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer at Texas Children’s Pediatrics, told CNN’s Pamela Brown, “When our largest school system gets back, I think we are going to see our numbers increasing even more unfortunately as a result of that,”

While there may be “bumps in the road” as schools attempt to reopen in the new year amid a record surge in Covid-19 cases, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said students have suffered enough and need to be back in class.

As schools restart under competing pressures, many teachers are asking officials to utilize distance learning while the latest wave is at its peak. In Massachusetts, teachers called for state officials to close schools during the worst of the surge, but were rebuffed by the education commissioner and Gov. Charlie Baker.

“There are a lot of tools and capabilities available to keep kids and adults safe in school, and we should do everything in our power to make sure that kids stay in school,” Baker said, while also highlighting the state’s test and stay program.

The picture was similar in New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams felt schools must remain open and rejected a request from the teachers union to begin the month with remote learning until the current wave of the virus subsides.

Read more about how schools are preparing for the new semester here.

Millions of American kids will head back to classrooms in the coming days — just after new pediatric Covid-19 hospitalizations reached an all-time high.

And that has many parents wondering what’s safe as the Omicron variant sweeps the country.

“We fear that it’s going to get a lot worse, between getting together for the holidays and then getting back to school,” said Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer at Texas Children’s Pediatrics & Texas Children’s Urgent Care in Houston.

Some cities and school districts are taking aggressive new measures.

Several Atlanta-area school districts are delaying in-person classes and starting 2022 with remote learning.

In Washington, DC, all public school students and staff must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test before returning from winter break.

In New York City, public school students who test positive will get a week’s worth of at-home tests so they can know when it’s safer to return to school.

But do vaccinated students still need to wear masks? What should families do if they can’t get Covid-19 tests? Should activities like choir and basketball practice be sidelined until the Omicron surge passes?

Read the full story to find out how several pediatricians and health experts answered some of the most critical questions from parents.

Chile will offer a fourth Covid-19 shot to high-risk citizens in February, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera announced in a statement last month.

“Probably, in the month of February, or when necessary, we will start the vaccination with the fourth dose, because our first concern and priority is to protect the health and life of our compatriots,” Piñera said.

Chile began offering its first booster shots in August.

About 86% of Chile – around 16.5 million people – have been fully vaccinated, the Chilean government has reported. 

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.