LISTEN: As school starts, here’s the latest science on kids and coronavirus

Kindergarten and 1st grade students at Kasuun Elementary in Anchorage head outside for recess on March 2, 2020. This year students have an extra 10 minutes to play outside as part of the district’s wellness initiative. (Mayowa Aina/Alaska Public Media)

School districts across Alaska have been working for months to develop plans to start school in the midst of a pandemic. While the number of COVID-19 cases is declining in Alaska, there are enough that many districts are still operating under a high-risk scenario, and several school districts are beginning the school year this week with online learning.

Public health physician Dr. Elizabeth Ohlsen, with the state of Alaska, spoke with Alaska Public Media’s Casey Grove about the latest science on how coronavirus impacts children and what schools can do to mitigate the spread of the disease.

Alaska Public Media’s Mayowa Aina produced this interview.

a portrait of a man outside

Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him atcgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Caseyhere

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