The government has published a preprint on the role of children in transmission of COVID-19. It was considered at SAGE on 4/11: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/935125/tfc-covid-19-children-transmission-s0860-041120.pdf

Some takeaways:

- In English schools since September, there’s been >1,000 instances of two or more confirmed cases of COVID-19

- There’s some evidence that pre-school and primary aged children are less susceptible to infection than adults

- There’s no difference in the positivity rates of school teachers and other worker groups

- There’s some evidence epidemic growth restarted before schools reopened

- The increases in infection levels among children and young adults did occur about the same time as the opening of schools in England

- But internationally, there’s no consistent pattern between school openings and increases in case numbers

- Children aged 12-16 played a significantly higher role in introducing infection into households than younger children in Sept and Oct

- There is evidence that school closures cause impairment to the physical and mental health of children

- There’s still strong evidence that children and younger people are much less susceptible to severe clinical disease than older people

- In July less than 1% of hospital patients with confirmed COVID-19 were under the age of 19

In summary, it’s very clear from this preprint that keeping schools open whilst trying to keep new infections down is a delicate balancing act indeed...