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#COVID-19 & schools- there have been recent papers from Norway & US & Australian data have found that school mitigation measures prevent onward transmission & that schools are unlikely to be driving the epidemic. 2/
2/ School outbreaks occur but were uncommon, even when community spread is relatively high, providing schools limit class sizes & require safety measures including masks 3/ https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2021/01/06/peds.2020-048090
3/ And if community spread is low, those safety measures may not be essential, especially among children under the age of 10 eg. Norway & NSW 4/
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.26.1.2002011
https://www.ncirs.org.au/covid-19-in-schools
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.26.1.2002011
https://www.ncirs.org.au/covid-19-in-schools
4/ In Victoria, most school outbreaks were caused by infected teaching staff (adults), followed by adolescents then rarely by younger children 5/
https://www.mcri.edu.au/sites/default/files/media/covid_in_schools_report_final_10112020.pdf
https://www.mcri.edu.au/sites/default/files/media/covid_in_schools_report_final_10112020.pdf
5/ But what about the new strains from UK, South Africa & Manaus Brazil? The B.1.1.7 (UK) is more infectious in all age groups 6/ https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.13.21249721v1.full
6/ US CDC: The increased transmissibility of the B.1.1.7 variant warrants universal & increased compliance with mitigation strategies, including distancing & masking 7/ https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7003e2.htm?s_cid=mm7003e2_w
7/ In Victoria, we developed a traffic light approach to school mitigation measures. More community transmission= more school mitigation measures. This prevents community fatigue & feasibility 8/
https://www.mcri.edu.au/sites/default/files/media/covid_in_schools_report_final_10112020.pdf
https://www.mcri.edu.au/sites/default/files/media/covid_in_schools_report_final_10112020.pdf
8/ In the Netherlands, a primary school outbreak found 123 infected of 818 teachers, students & families tested. Most were B.1.1.7 variant. Children attended school full time, with full classes, but masks not worn in primary schools for kids or teachers 9/ https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/new-coronavirus-variant-scrambles-school-risk-calculations
9/ If the new B.1.1.7 variant is circulating primary kids will also need to wear masks. But more information is needed. Need to understand the direction of transmission (adult-to-child; child-to-child; child- to-adult) for all variants 10/
10/ School staff also need to wear masks & need to be vaccinated as a priority as untoward indirect effects in children are devastating 11/ https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/01/12/creating-covid-secure-schools-we-need-strategy-not-just-ad-hoc-responses/
11/ Higher vaccination coverage might need to be achieved to protect the public overall 12/
12/ Genomic sequence analysis from all settings is needed to enable a targeted approach to identifying variants of concern & appropriate mitigation measures for schools. Important that countries without this capacity are supported to do this.
13/ Our piece on “Is it safe for kids to go back to school” @MCRI_for_kids @UniMelbMDHS @WSPID @IPAWorldorg @Asiapacific_Ped @who @unicef @WHOWPRO @_PHAA_ @PHAA_ChildYouth @TheRACP @theMJA @MJA_Editor https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-it-safe-for-kids-to-go-back-to-school-and-what-about-the-new-mutant-strain-152979
Good summary of 3 recent studies (US, Norway, Sweden)-show low COVID risk of inperson schooling. Other examples: Iceland, Ireland (up to pre-Christmas) France, Taiwan & Spain. Our Vic paper under review. It can be done safely- but needs investment & effort https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/01/three-studies-highlight-low-covid-risk-person-school
Now more evidence from Germany https://twitter.com/fiona_m_russell/status/1353473594647429120
