COVID-19 is ravaging Florida. This is no time to reopen schools | Letter to the editor

Adults who work in our schools are terrified by what could lie in wait for the children and for them. Florida is a center of COVID-19 and it is NOT time to open schools. Every minute of every day will be filled with wondering who will be infected. Who will be the unwitting carrier who brings the disease to school on any given day? Who will take the disease home to their families? Who will die today? Tomorrow? Next week? Can you imagine, as a teacher, now spending half of your instructional time working to keep masks on children, working to keep them apart from each other, working to keep them from deadly infection?

As a former university professor of microbiology and infectious disease, I realize that, of course, it is better for children to be at school, that is, in normal times. But this isn’t normal and wouldn’t it be better to have a child fall a little behind and continue to live?

Please, school boards, do everything in your power (and you have the power) to help ensure that students, their families, their teachers, and their families, get the opportunity to see another school year by mandating virtual schools until at least January. Funds must be directed toward providing at-home devices for every student.

Please, listen to the scientists, not the politicians!

K. Cyrus Ostovar

Sarasota