Everyone was taken by surprise when schools closed their doors to over 55 million students this spring. When schools reopen, there will be important accommodations to protect students and staff. But some teachers and school personnel — as many as half a million — may not be able to return to school building due to being more at risk for contracting COVID-19.
Although much about COVID-19 remains unknown, it has become increasingly clear that older populations are most at risk. One study by the World Health Organization shows that individuals over age 40 are more vulnerable to contracting the disease and those over age 60 are at the highest risk. Similar findings appear elsewhere throughout the medical research. Analyzing data from cases in China, a study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal showed that the fatality rate jumped from 1.4 percent to 4.5 percent for those over age 60. A CDC analysis released in March examining US patients found similar results; those over age 65 made up 31 percent of cases, 45 percent of hospitalizations, 53 percent of admissions to intensive care, and 80 percent of deaths associated with COVID-19.
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