B.C.’s public health physicians and child health specialists reflect at end of school year
ONE year ago in British Columbia, schools were preparing for limited re-entry of students who had been learning online since the end of spring break amid the province’s first wave of COVID-19. Survey data from this period gave an early indication of the detrimental impacts of school closures we’ve now observed around the world: impaired learning for many students, decreased social connection, and stress for families.
The return to classes in September came with both benefits for students, and accompanying fears that schools could be drivers of community transmission. But thanks to the hard work of schools, staff, parents and caregivers, and students, B.C. was able to achieve a collective goal: schools remained safely open in the second and third waves to fulfill their essential function in the intellectual and social growth of students.
Over the past year we have learned a great deal about COVID-19 and the risk in our schools. We now know that, although students and staff do test positive for COVID-19, they most often acquire the virus from the community at rates that mirror community transmission. The vast majority of the time these are isolated events with no onward transmission in the school. Contact tracing studies conducted in Ireland, Singapore, Wisconsin, England, North Carolina, and Utah, among others, have consistently demonstrated low rates of in-school transmission. In B.C., Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health have reported similar results. Asymptomatic viral testing and seroprevalence studies addressing the potential for “silent” asymptomatic spread in Italy, Norway, Australia, and B.C. have similarly suggested that widespread COVID-19 transmission is rare in the school setting.
The percentage of exposures in school leading to transmission events has remained low even as we’ve seen a shift in the circulating variants of COVID-19 in B.C. This means that the safety measures in schools – including accessible testing for those who need it, keeping kids home when sick, practicing good hand hygiene, and restricting entry – continue to be effective even against variants of concern. In B.C.’s third wave, while close contacts of COVID-19 cases were isolated, broad school closures were not implemented, and maintaining consistent in-school education did not prevent public health measures from effectively decreasing community transmission. Perhaps most importantly, B.C. has been able to keep schools safely open for in-person learning, while still maintaining one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality rates of any larger jurisdiction in North America.
We’ve also learned more this year about how closing schools hurts children and families, especially those who are the most vulnerable. For many students, schools are important for learning and social development. For vulnerable children, schools can be a lifeline – the site of access to healthy and consistent meals, a place of connection to trusted adults, and, for some, a source of stability in chaotic lives. School closures also place disproportionate burdens on women and lone parents who shoulder the responsibility of supporting childcare and online learning.
Finally, in recent months we’ve seen how effective vaccination against COVID-19 is at cutting community transmission and protecting those at risk of severe disease. In Prince Rupert in Northern British Columbia, where >60% of adults were vaccinated in March as part of a whole-of-community campaign, rates of new COVID-19 cases have dropped more than 90% since their peak. Cases in other communities prioritized for vaccination in B.C., such as the town of Whistler, have also seen substantial reductions in cases. With many staff, parents and caregivers, and children now eligible for vaccination, we will collectively be able to build on our ability to protect the vital role schools play in a healthy, equitable society. By the fall, we can also look forward to a return to many of the extracurricular activities that keep students engaged at school and connected to their peers.
We have shown that, even during a pandemic, students’ education can be safely prioritized; vaccination will help us cement that success and support the school experience that children, youth, and families deserve.
Find out how to get vaccinated in your province by visiting www.canada.ca/covid-vaccine. If you’ve already been vaccinated, you can help by reaching out to others in your community who might need help to register. Covidquestions.ca has answers to common questions you might hear from family and friends who have yet to be vaccinated.
Alex Choi MD MHSc CCFP FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Vancouver Coastal Health
Ariella Zbar MD CCFP MPH MBA FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Fraser Health Authority
Ashley Roberts, MD, M.Ed., FRCPC
Division Head, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
David Goldfarb, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC
Manish Sadarangani, BM BCh FRCPC DPhil
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Director, Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Christine A. Loock, MD, FRCPC, DABP
Medical Director and Specialist Lead, RICHER Program,
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Susan Wakeham, MD, FRCPC
Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellow
University of British Columbia
Esther Lee, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, Division of General Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Palliative Medicine
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Matt Carwana, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Alison Lopez, MD, FRCPC
Pediatric Infectious Diseases physician
Raina Fumerton, MD, MPH, FRCP
Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist
Rakel Kling, MD, MSC, MPH, FRCPC
Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist
Mel Krajden, MD, FRCPC
Medical Director, BCCDC Public Health Laboratory
Professor, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC
Jocelyn Srigley, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC
Sandra Allison, MD, MPH, CCFP, FCFP, FRCPC
Medical Health Officer and Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist
Vancouver Island Health Authority
Julie Bettinger, PhD, MPH
Professor, Pediatrics, UBC
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Allison A. Eddy, MD, FRCPC, CAHS
Professor and Head, UBC Department of Pediatrics
Geoff McKee, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Medical Director, Population and Public Health
BC Centre for Disease Control
Trevor Corneil, MD, MHSc, FCFP, FRCPC
Clinical Professor, School of Population and Public Health
University of British Columbia
Laura Sauve, MD MPH FRCPC
Clinical assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
UBC Department of Pediatrics
Ghada Al-Rawahi, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC
Silvina Mema MD, MSc, FRCPC
Medical Health Officer, Interior Health
Erin Peebles, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Alison Lee, MD, FRCPC
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Matthew Chow, MD, FRCPC
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry
University of British Columbia
Tommy Gerschman, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Pediatric Rheumatologist and Pediatric Sports Medicine
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Sarah Freedman, MD, MES, FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Erik Swartz, MD, MSc, FRCPC, CCPE
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Samara Laskin, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Tom McLaughlin, MD, MPP, FRCPC, FAAP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Catherine Biggs, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Allergy & Immunology
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Jennifer Retallack, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, Division General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Dianna Louie, MD, FRCPC, FAAP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Robert Lehman, MD, CCFP, MClSc, FCFP
Clinical Assistant Instructor, Division of Family Medicine, UBC
Division of Family Practice, Sunshine Coast
Hana Mitchell, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor
Pediatric Infectious Diseases | Pediatrics
The University of British Columbia | BC Children’s Hospital
Michaela Remington, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Aven Poynter, MD, FRCPC
Community Paediatrician, Langley
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, UBC
David Smith, MD, FRCPC
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Vernon
Medical Director C&A Psychiatry, IHA
Kirsten Miller, MD, FRCPC
Community Paediatrician, Prince George
Clinical Assistant Professor, Paediatrics, UBC
Alexis Crabtree, MD, MPH, PhD
Resident Physician in Public Health and Preventive Medicine
School of Population and Public Health, UBC
Wilma Arruda, BSc, BEd, MD, FRCPC
Community Pediatrician, Nanaimo
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, UBC
Mark Bigham, MD, FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Fraser Health Authority
Gwyneth McIntosh, BScN, MN, NP(F)
Family Nurse Practitioner
RICHER Social Pediatrics Program
BC Children’s Hospital
Claire Seaton BM, BCh, MRCPCH, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Dominique Eustace, MD, FRCPC
Locum, Division of General Pediatrics
Locum, Division of Child Development and Rehabilitation
BC Children’s Hospital
Nita Jain, MD FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Denise Hanson, MN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
RICHER Social Pediatrics Program
BC Children’s Hospital
Albert de Villiers, MBChB, MMed
Chief Medical Health Officer
Interior Health
Shobhit Maruti, MD MPH (OEM) PRCPC DABPM
Medical Health Officer
Interior Health
Sue Pollock, MD MSc FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Interior Health
Karin Goodison, MD MPH FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Interior Health
Carol Fenton, BHSc MD MSc FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Interior Health
Réka Gustafson, MD MHSc, FRCPC
VP Public Health and Wellness and Deputy Provincial Health Officer
Provincial Health Services Authority
Sim Grewal, MD FRCPC
Medical Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Jane Buxton MBBS MHSc FRCPC
Professor UBC School of Population and Public Health
Physician Epidemiologist, BC Centre for Disease Control
Meghan Gilley, MD FRCPC
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Althea Hayden, MDCM MPH FRCPC
Medical Health Officer
Vancouver Coastal Health
Harold (Hal) Siden, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Clinical Professor and Division Head, Pediatric Palliative Medicine
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Naomi Dove MD MPH FRCPC
Public Health & Preventive Medicine Consultant Physician, Office of Provincial Health Officer
Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC School of Population & Public Health
Veronic Clair, MD, MSc in Health Administration, CCFP, FRCPC, PhD
Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist and Addiction Medicine Consultant
Physician Epidemiologist, Communicable Diseases and Immunization Service, BC Centre for Disease Control
Mary Bennett, MD FRCPC
Clinical Professor and Associate Head, Education
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Jasmine Allaire, MDCM FRCPC
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Marie-Claude Grégoire, MD MSc FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, Division of General Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Palliative Medicine
Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Mark Lysyshyn MD MPH FRCPC
Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia
Patricia Daly MD, FRCPC
Chief Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health
Clinical Professor, School of Population and Public Health, UBC
Tessa Diaczun, MN NP(Pediatrics)
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
BC Children’s Hospital
Carmen Tait, MD FRCPC
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
Karen Black, MD FRCPC
Community Pediatrician, Vancouver
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor, Dept of Pediatrics UBC
Simi Khangura, MD FRCPC
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
