Researchers have shown that the mask mandate has improved the closure of schools to reduce the spread of the covide.
A new study by Oxford University and the University of Washington says that the closure of schools during the Kovide 19 pandemic diseases has created long -term economic and social costs, while other measures have offered strong health protection in one part of the price. Appeared in BMC Global & Public HealthThe research analyzed the policies used in the United States in 2020, before the vaccines were available, and both the health and economic effects of these measures were weighed.
The work reviewed eleven non -pharmaceutical measures such as mask mandate, testing, contact tracing, and school closure. These tools were the only defense available during the early months of epidemic diseases, and each transmission came with different effects on the society as a whole. In addition to economic analysis as well as the modeling of diseases, researchers have been able to compare their results in terms of saving, spreading and costs.
The closure of schools, which is one of the most commonly used strategies, estimates 77,200 deaths and the transmission rates decreased by about 8.2 %. But the trade stood. Keeping Students Out of Classrooms for Long Stretches of 2020 and Into 2021 LED to Lost Learning Time Equal To About One-Third of A School Year on Average. Some states closed schools for almost the entire academic year. The study estimates that the disturbance will translate about 1.6 trillion ($ 2 trillion) into long -term economic losses due to lifetime earnings and production capacity.
On the contrary, the mask mandate is more efficient. They reduced the transmission by about 19 %, which is more than twice the effect of closure of schools, while only small costs. Testing and contacting is also highly ranked in terms of effectiveness than their price. These measures not only reduced the spread of infection but also benefited from limiting the broader economic obstruction.
The leading author, Nicholas Iron, pointed out that the overall policy response was far from perfect, though it was not unexpected in such a speed and scale crisis. Nevertheless, he emphasized that some strategies have proved to be much more cost -effective than others, and the closure of schools is clearly clear, whose costs are far more than their benefits.
This study estimates that if a maximum compound of measures was used, the overall number of pandemic disease in the United States could be dramatically cut in the United States, focusing on mandating mandate, testing, detection and limited closure of convenience. Combined with an estimated 7 3.7 trillion (4.6 trillion) in combined health and economic spending, the total can be close to £ 1.5 trillion ($ 1.9 trillion), while also saving more than 100,000 additional lives.
Washington University co -author, Adren Rafri, highlighted the importance of collecting better data for future outbreak management. In his view, more comprehensive national surveillance in the United States, as was done in the UK, would allow faster and more informed decision -making. As a result, prolonged school closures can help avoid two -pronged measures, which have significant side effects.
Research provides a clear lesson for the planning of the pandemic diseases in the future. Strategies such as mask requirements, widespread testing, and effective communication detection not only spread but also without producing major economic or social loss. Targets for specific facilities may still be necessary, but keeping schools closed for a long time is one of the least effective tools in terms of public health and long -term national costs.
These results serve as a reminder that emergency decisions yield results after a long time after the crisis. The disruption of education and the lost learning of education will make the economic burden for decades, though the benefits of health were limited to other measures. Looking closely at the future outbreak, it can be better served by which tools provide a strong balance between saving lives and the protection of social stability.
Sources:
School restrictions during Kovid created long -term costs with limited health benefits
Maximum Pandemic Control Strategy and Covid-19 Non-Pharmacological Intervention Cost Effectiveness In the United States
