Hello and welcome to the Oster Home Update, COVID-19, a weekly podcast on the COVID-19

pandemic with Dr. Michael Oster Home. Dr. Oster Home is an internationally recognized

medical detective and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

or CITRAP at the University of Minnesota. In this podcast, Dr. Oster Home will draw on

more than 45 years of experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks to provide

straight talk on the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm Chris Doll, reporter for CITRAP News.

I'm your host for these conversations.

It's the height of summer, a time when school is typically the last thing on most people's minds.

But as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the country with no seeming end-in-sight,

the question of whether schools are going to be able to fully reopen if they can do so safely,

and what the coming school year will look like for students, teachers, staff members, and families

is on everyone's minds. Some school districts have already made their decision, but for many,

the plan is still evolving. How to safely reopen our schools is a difficult question with no easy

answers. But that's the question we're going to focus on in this episode of the Oster Home Update.

We'll also get an assessment of the current situation in the United States and answer a listener

email. But as he does every episode, Dr. Oster Home will start with a dedication.

Well, thank you, Chris, and welcome to all the listeners today, particularly a welcome to those

who might be new to this podcast and a very warm thank you for returning for all those who are

with us today who have been on previous podcasts, as I have said often, and continue to say with

deep appreciation. We know that you have many other sources of information that you can go to,

and so spending time with us here means a lot to us, and we sure appreciate it. I also want to

just make a note that I can't begin to thank all of you for the kind comments, thoughtful comments,

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