Open schools do not cause bursts of coronavirus - research

Schools are likely to play a very limited role in the spread of coronavirus - a series of research suggests that the quarantine will only prevent their parents from working, and it almost never helps to deal with the spread of infection, writes Financial Times.

Special studies in Germany and Norway, as well as two world reviews, allow us to conclude that children are not a mass source of infection Covid-19.

For example, an analysis, published last week, the Institute of Labor Economics (Ile) in Bonn showed that the number of new cases of coronavirus in the country did not increase when schools again opened after summer holidays. The authors of the study - Ingo Formation, Mark Lipfert and Nico Pestel - found that the number of confirmed cases even slowly decreased in those German lands that again opened schools compared to those that did not do this. “This result was definitely contrary to our expectations,” said Formation.

The study showed that after the opening of schools, only 0.04% of students infected the North Rhine-Westphalia in the federal land (853 people out of about 2 million students). Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria also had an indicator of 0.04% infected, in Berlin it was slightly higher-0.07%. Researchers explain the low level of infection in German schools with strict hygienic measures: constant wearing masks, training in small fixed groups, as well as quarantine classes and rapid testing of those who were in contact with Covid-positive child.

Norway National Institute of Public Health in his study indicated that from June to October, those students of schools who discovered Covid-19 were infected with adults in their families, and not from other students. True, scientists emphasize the complexity of the exact tracking of the transfer of the virus. Another British review indicates that the relative number of infections among students was less than among the pedagogical composition.

According to FT, the data obtained will probably strengthen the concern of politicians due to the closure of schools, which increases the share of lagging students and prevents parents from returning to full work. The practical conclusion is that the normal work of schools, apparently, should be maintained as long as possible.

• In Moscow, students of 6–11 classes from October 18 have been transferred to distance learning for two weeks, which can be extended depending on the epidemiological situation.
• The authorities so far exclude new hard quarantine in schools throughout Russia. According to the Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, only 0.31% of Russian schools are quarantined due to coronavirus, 0.22%-due to acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.
• According to the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor to Russian schools, each class should be assigned a separate study room in which children study in all subjects (except for exceptions: physical education, iso, physics, chemistry and other subjects requiring special equipment). In addition, to reduce contacts between students of different classes during the input filter and thermometry, all entrances to the school will be open. The requirements that children should be at a school in masks are not in these rules.