By Oscar Tan III
OVER the past week, my Facebook news feed has been flooded with varying opinions as to whether classes should be suspended in the entire province of Cebu due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Evidently, this has become a hot topic for students and parents alike. Several schools in the NCR and Calabarzon have already suspended classes this week. The key question now is, should schools in Cebu decide to play safe and follow suit?
Again, opinions on this issue vary and I am no expert whatsoever in the field. So I will first dive into the facts surrounding the virus.
As of March 12th, 49 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed — nearly all in the NCR and most of which being aged 40+. All data are courtesy of the Department of Health (DOH). Based on the statistics, it is evident that adults are more prone to the virus than children.
According to Dr. Mark Denison, who was interviewed by TIME Magazine, children are less prone to contracting the virus because their cells may be “less hospitable” to it. So with all that being said, should our schools go ahead and suspend classes despite children being less prone to the virus? Furthermore, must it be done without Cebu having any confirmed case yet?
No doubt about it
In the midst of this extreme virus, it is best to likewise take extreme measures in order to contain its spread. This is referred to as a “proactive closure.” According to Yale University physician Nicholas Christakis, the closure has been proven successful in the past, citing that of St. Louis, Missouri in 1918 as an example (as a result of a Spanish flu pandemic at that time). The outcome was a substantial survival rate, nearly one-thirds as that of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
For schools ending their academic years this month, or those who have already held their final exams, it is best to call the school year off. Meanwhile, for those ending in April or May, it would be plausible to suspend classes, given that there is a compromise. Technology can be taken advantage of to produce alternatives for holding formal classes.
In the meantime, let us all be calm, alert and constantly mindful of the basic precautionary and hygienic measures against the Covid-19. And when classes are eventually called off, please stay safe in your homes and be optimistic about the mitigation of the virus. God bless the Philippine and the world!