Following a two-year investigation, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released findings criticizing the extended closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, asserting that these measures lacked scientific justification. The subcommittee’s exhaustive 520-page report outlines failures relating to mask and vaccine mandates, as well as the suppression of certain narratives by public health officials, like natural immunity, which did not align with their policies.
The report underscores the controversial nature of extended school closures, which it claims were not backed by scientific evidence. It states that children were unlikely to significantly contribute to virus transmission, nor were they prone to severe illness. The report highlights the consequences of these closures, including historical learning loss, increased psychological stress, and reduced physical well-being for children.
According to the findings, even early on, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was unconvinced that school closures would control virus transmission. Data from Hong Kong and Singapore demonstrated no significant differences in transmission rates between regions that closed schools and those that did not. Nonetheless, by March 2020, schools nationwide were predominantly shut.
The report also reveals the involvement of political influences in public health guidance. It criticizes the CDC under the Biden-Harris government for incorporating suggestions from the American Federation of Teachers into its reopening guidance. According to the subcommittee, this political interference contributed to prolonged school closures.
Committee members also expressed concern over the lasting negative impact of these closures on students, noting significant declines in academic performance. Standardized test scores reflect a regression in skills, with low-income and minority students suffering the most. The report warns that these educational setbacks will persist as students struggle to recover and fall further behind compared to previous cohorts.
