Schools have not reported a high incidence of transmission of the coronavirus disease. In this article from The Times it is claimed that the incidence is probably lower than any other work-related area of our society, and certainly at the other extreme of care homes, which were very hard hit by the virus. Additionally the other measures for hygiene reasons (opening windows, increasing cleaning, creation of “bubbles” etc.) have all supported the low transmission rates. The Schools Infection Survey run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine visited 121 schools where students and teachers were tested for infection showed that less than 2% were positive, and on the second round of tests the rate was even lower. Dr Shamez Ladhani, consultant paediatrician at Public Health England commented “The message is not that you’re not at risk by going to school, it’s just that your risk is not higher than other professions. And it’s acknowledging that everybody’s doing this knowing that the benefits [of getting children back to classrooms] outweigh the risks, but the risks are not zero.” The bottom line is that everyone needs to be vigilant and continue to follow the safety protocols, but schools can, and must, open and remain so.
