I opened up my email last week to see a picture of my 16 year-old-grandson beginning his junior year in high school. As you can see, he is at his desk in his room, his computer open and ready. His school system is embracing distance learning, at least for the time being, cancelling all sports and extracurricular activities. The other picture is of another grandchild heading off to fifth grade in a school that has chosen to open. Her face mask, which she must wear all day, is in place as she heads for her class which will be broken up into three small, completely self-contained ‘pods.’
There seems to be no ready answer as to what to do with our school age children, and my heart goes out to those who are trying to figure this out in the ever changing world of pandemics and politics. These two children represent the range of things being tried, with the best intentions, by all concerned, but with no really satisfactory answer.
I had a grandparent who was fortunate enough to survive the 1918 flu epidemic, but developed a hand tremor that lasted the rest of his life. I did not learn that fact from him, as he never mentioned the epidemic or its small, lasting impact, but found out about it many years later from reading family letters from that time. That epidemic killed 675,000 Americans, and holds many similarities to the current virus. It was believed to have started in Asia, and was transmitted through coughing, sneezing, etc. It was also ignored in its initial inception, as Philadelphia, the city that would be the worst hit in the United States by that flu, hosted a parade that 200,000 people attended even after that city issued a warning about aerial transmission of the disease. On the other hand, New York which met the epidemic early and forcefully had the lowest death rate on the Eastern seaboard.
Columbia University epidemiologist Stephen S. Morse writes in an analysis of the data. “[T]here is an invaluable treasure trove of useful historical data that has only just begun to be used to inform our actions. The lessons of 1918, if well heeded, might help us to avoid repeating the same history today.” But that assumes that the current crisis will not be treated as the 1918 epidemic was, ignored or forgotten and resigned to the dust bin of history. Let us hope that our society will recognize the dangers and inequalities of our modern life brought to light by this crisis, and emerge from this disaster with a renewed desire to improve the lives of all mankind, particularly our children.
