In the spots where schools have opened, the results are ok
A cloud over financial markets and the economy is the schools system. Getting schools open is the key to getting people back to work but it also risks a major outbreak of the virus.
Many students will head back to the classroom next week but others have already started and the early returns aren't perfect, but they're promising.
A story about a Georgia school opening with crowded hallways and then being forced to close again grabbed international headlines in August (viral pic above) but with many schools in the state now open for a month, there is no evidence if a wider outbreak.
It's still far too early to declare victory, universities could be a higher risk because young adults might be more susceptible to infection. Today the University of Georgia reported that last week there were 821 positive cases among the 50,000 staff and students. The school opened Aug 20.
Internationally, there is some reason for cautious optimism. Berlin schools were some of the first to reopen in Germany on Aug 7 but since then less than 50 of the 825 schools have reported a case. There also hasn't been a major national outbreak.
Scottish schools reopened on Aug 11 and during the week of Aug 24, nearly 17,500 school-aged kids were tested. There were just 49 positive cases.
Norway has had schools open since April with cohorts split in half and the results so far are promising as well.
Clearly, there are dozens of different variations, restrictions and cultural differences so it's way too early to draw conclusions but markets are drunk on easy money and fiscal stimulus and looking towards a post-COVID world where those things stay and the virus is gone.
The issue for the US is that cases are much more widespread in general so more schools will certainly be hit. It's early and the cold weather hasn't arrived yet but there are real reasons for optimism.
