No one would argue that talking about COVID-19, schools, and children raises emotions. On the one hand, there is the belief that schools pose a significant risk to COVID-19. On the other hand, it is not a big concern for schools and children.
This claim that schools shouldn’t worry about COVID-19 was once again questioned by one expert. Newly published article in American Medical Association Network Journalconcluded that 70% of household infections started in children. The study found that children under the age of 8 were more likely to be the source of infection than those aged 9 to 17. None of this is a big surprise since early 2020. Korean studies A study published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that children can spread the disease, and that people aged 10 to 19 are more likely to spread the disease than adults. rice field. The popular belief that these reports have been disproved by The Swedish Experience is just disinformation. December 2020 (last data available), The Swedish Health Agency reported It has been reported that 75% of non-healthcare SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks occurred in primary schools, primary schools, and nursery schools.
It is natural for teachers to be concerned about their health.about 24% of teachers You are at risk of serious COVID-19 infection.a Study abroad from England and Wales The researchers found that elementary school teachers were at the highest risk, 67% more likely to develop SARS-CoV-2 infection than the average occupation.
Children can also be directly affected. Bloomberg reported in an interview with Daniel O. Griffin, M.D., an infectious disease physician at Columbia University. 5-10% of children Infected people can develop long-lasting symptoms. Pereira et al. also reported Published in Pediatric Journal Twelve to 16% of Omicron-infected children had prolonged COVID-19 infection at 3 and 6 months post-infection. In total, 24% of his hospitalized children have had symptoms over her 5 months.
Like adults, this virus attacks multiple systems in children.as much as you want 60% of children have subclinical systolic heart failure After recovery from asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 (mean 148 days follow-up). during a pandemic, Childhood type I diabetes nearly doubled Percentage of people diagnosed with COVID-19 (28.5 per 100,000 vs. 55.2 per 100,000).There is also a risk of developing rare but dangerous diseases Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
Evidence for a weakened immune system is mounting.Massive surge of respiratory syncytial virus infections in the United States also found in swedenthe country. Few public health interventions have been implemented, masks, etc., and kept kindergartens and primary schools open.of The Swedish Public Health Agency also reported It said it has had unusually severe cases of influenza, with cases occurring in .People under the age of 18 who have a very serious illness with complications such as myocarditis or encephalitis without any underlying disease or condition. (translation)”
Reinfection is overlooked by those who think it’s rare for COVID-19 to seriously affect children. As Amy Edwards, M.D., associate medical director for infection control at the University Hospital Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, reports, reinfection is all too familiar. of American Pediatric News Society. “More and more children are getting COVID-19 repeatedly.” “Someone gets COVID-19 in January, then in April, and then again in September. It’s not uncommon to have a second or third infection that often leads to long-lasting COVID-19, which is very concerning to me.”
Unfortunately, unlike adults, Pereira et al. They also reported that reinfection does not appear to reduce the likelihood of children developing long-lasting COVID-19 infection. This finding is supported by a study published in 2006. clinical immunology They found that unlike adults, children do not develop strong memory (CD4+) T cells, putting them at risk of reinfection.
The good news is that there are many things you can do to prevent and mitigate the above, even without closing schools. Multiple Studies Show That Masks Are Effective To mitigate COVID-19 related cases in schools.one Study Abroad from Pima County, Arizonafound that schools without mask requirements were 3.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19. another study found In counties where mask-wearing is mandatory in schools, the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases associated with the opening of schools has been more than halved (an increase of 16.32 per 100,000 residents compared to 100,000 residents). increase of 34.85 per person).Finally, the November 2022 survey Published in the New England Journal of Medicine The removal of mask mandates in the Boston metropolitan school district reported an additional 44.9 COVID-19 cases per 1,000 students, for a total of 11,901, or 29.4% of all cases at the time.of CDC reported During the Delta era, vaccination reduced adolescent hospitalizations by 90%.
Two studies describe a multi-layered approach to school establishment. According to a report from Switzerland, Positive effects of masking and using air purifiers. Mandatory masks resulted in a 69% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 aerosol detection and a 39% reduction in aerosol detection by air purifiers. The study also shows how masking can protect not only the wearer but also others. Additionally, the average indoor CO2 level is high at 1064, suggesting that further improvements in ventilation could further reduce aerosols. another study Studies conducted in the period prior to Delta and Omicron found that implementing seven or more mitigation strategies eliminated the increased risk of in-person learning in schools.
One of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that schools can safely open if the right mitigation strategies are in place. But during the pandemic, we find ourselves arguing that COVID-19 is “nothing” for our children, even as caring and loving parents want their children to learn in-person. I witnessed a vicious circle of legitimizing the position of As a result, mitigation strategies were not implemented and teachers were often reluctant to return to school. Schools were closed for longer than necessary. We must plan for the next epidemic surge and build effective school infrastructure, including better ventilation. UV-C germicidal lighting in the upper room.
