Two in five SC teachers are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID19, study says

Two in five South Carolina school staff members said they have an underlying health condition that puts them at an increased risk of severe illness from the coronavirus, according to survey results released Friday.

The online survey, conducted by teacher advocacy group SC for Ed, received over 7,000 responses between July 6 and July 9, according to a statement the group released.

It found 42% of school staff said they had an underlying health condition, such as obesity, serious heart conditions, Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and more, that makes it more dangerous for them to contract the coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies those illnesses as ones that place someone at an “Increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”

The most common type of underlying condition listed was obesity, with Type 2 diabetes being a distant second.

The study also found an additional 22% of school staff have underlying health conditions that potentially could put them at increased risk for a serious coronavirus infection.

Those factors included hypertension, asthma, weakened immune system, pregnancy and smoking, according to the survey.

In total, roughly 65% of school staff had at least one condition that puts them at increased risk, or may put them at increased risk for becoming severely ill from COVID-19, according to the survey.

SC for Ed did not opine in the statement about whether or not schools should resume in-person classes this fall. Rather, the group said, “We feel that it’s important to understand the layers of the debate on return to brick-and-mortar schools.”