In-Person Education During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic at Wichita Collegiate School.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic forced most Kansas schools to adopt remote or hybrid learning in 2020-2021. Wichita Collegiate School proceeded with an in-person teaching model. The purpose of this study was to determine if in-person learning can be done safely during the COVID-19 pandemic prior to vaccine use. Methods: Wichita Collegiate is a private school located in Sedgwick County, Kansas. The study population included 671 students (grades 1 - 12) and 130 staff. The procedures implemented during the school year (August 19, 2020 - May 21, 2021) included: mandatory face coverings, six feet physical distancing, and daily temperature checks. A registered nurse performed contact tracing and executed quarantine requirements per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Results: Over the study period, 487 students and staff were tested for COVID-19 and 18.5% (n = 90) were positive. Overall, students and staff rate of COVID-19 infection was lower than the expected rate when compared to the surrounding community of Sedgwick County. Thorough contract tracing of positive cases revealed that 2.2% (n = 2) individuals were likely exposed to COVID-19 at school. Conclusions: This study suggested that transmission of COVID-19 was infrequent in a school setting with in-person attendance, even before widespread vaccine availability. By following public health guidelines and utilizing contact tracing, it was possible to limit the spread of COVID-19 during in-person learning. This has immediate implications for how schools safely returned to in-person learning in the post-vaccine era.

Trends in Internet Safety Education by Healthcare Providers.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare provider training, comfort, and provision of internet safety counseling. Prior research has demonstrated increased parental concern regarding the pervasive access to the internet by children, including the potential impacts of risky internet behavior and adverse media exposure. METHODS: A self-reported survey was provided to a convenience sample of 31 healthcare providers during a mental health training seminar. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Internet safety counseling, especially regarding risky online behavior, was not a focal point of provider-patient interaction in the sample population. This finding was reinforced with more than half of the respondents indicating that they infrequently or never provide internet safety counseling (n = 17, 56%). While research has placed an emphasis on the importance of discussing the risks of exposure to violence, drugs, and sexually explicit media online, this study found that the topics most often discussed were setting time limits (77%), limiting access to media devices (67%), and supervising internet use (50%). This may be due in part to the fact that most respondents (n = 17, 57%) reported never receiving training on internet safety counseling. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, significant deficits were identified in internet safety counseling training for professionals and provision of education for families. These finding were inconsistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations around media use counseling and a point of urgent concern given the increasing time spent on media devices, particularly during the COVID pandemic.