A New York Times science reporter discusses how SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge and what the rapid spread of the delta variant has meant for families and schools. “The thing about delta is that it is so much more contagious than we ever expected this virus to be,” Apoorva Mandavilli says. As the new school year began, she notes, the variant brought an uptick in the number of children hospitalized with Covid-19, and many students quarantined at home. But schools do have a number of tools they can use to keep kids safe, from encouraging proper ventilation to masks and more widespread use of frequent testing. Putting these into place, however, has been uneven across the United States. They are more important than ever if keeping schools open is indeed a priority for society. The changing nature of the pandemic is once again forcing families, especially those with young kids not yet eligible for vaccination, to reevaluate risks and navigate uncertainties. “Every step of the way, we’ve had to think about: ‘Is this activity safe for our family?’” Mandavilli says. What’s made reporting on Covid-19 a continual challenge, she says, “is the unexpected curveballs, like delta, that suddenly change our perception of where we are in the pandemic.” READ MORE: Why don’t kids tend to get as sick from Covid-19? – https://knowmag.org/3hRmxOj Pencils down: The year pre-college tests went away — https://knowmag.org/3EvIgoN Kids of the Covid generation: The road ahead — https://knowmag.org/2OcsDgu This video is part of Reset: The Science of Crisis & Recovery, an ongoing series exploring how the world is navigating the coronavirus pandemic, its consequences and the way forward. Reset is supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Watch more videos from Knowable Magazine. Sign up for our newsletter: https://knowmag.org/3eCjqIO See our full video catalog here: https://knowmag.org/35srh4o About Knowable Magazine: Knowable Magazine explores the real-world significance of scholarly work through a journalistic lens. We report on the current state of play across a wide variety of fields — from agriculture to high-energy physics; biochemistry to water security; the origins of the universe to psychology. Review articles written by leading scholars from the 51 Annual Reviews journals serve as springboards for stories in Knowable Magazine. Through in-depth features, explainers, articles, essays, interviews, infographics, slideshows, and comics, Knowable Magazine presents insights from research to a broader audience. Connect with us: Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KnowableMag Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnowableMagazine CREDIT: HUNNI MEDIA FOR KNOWABLE MAGAZINE RSV ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: GARY FERSTER