More than a month into the new school year, it is already evident that in-person school instruction is not causing mass outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Researchers at Brown University have found extremely low levels of infection among students and teachers. To be specific, the rate of suspected and confirmed student infections is just 0.21%. (The rate of confirmed infections is one-third of that.) Among teachers and staff, the infection rate is 0.51%. It appears that, thanks in part to schools’ precautions (social distancing guidelines, improved ventilation systems, mask mandates, etc.), one has significantly less risk of contracting COVID-19 inside a reopened school building than in most other places in society.