A review of the scientific evidence into the risks presented by re-opening schools amid the coronavirus crisis has concluded that doing so is unlikely to spread the disease among children or adults.
The research, a systematic review of more than 47 separate studies, found that children are at a low risk of catching, spreading and suffering severe symptoms of the disease, and unlikely to infect their families or teachers.
The team of scientists at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institute, near Stockholm, in Sweden, concluded that keeping schools open is ‘unlikely’ to spread COVID-19.
They added that children are unlikely to catch it or to pass it on to their families.
Professor Jonas Ludvigsson, who led the review, told the Daily Mail: ‘The vast majority of children do not get very sick from Covid-19 and deaths are extremely rare.
‘So there’s really no reason to close down schools and kindergartens to protect the children themselves.’
A review of the scientific evidence into the risks presented by re-opening schools amid the coronavirus crisis has concluded that doing so is unlikely to spread the disease among children or adults. Pictured: Children of essential workers socially distance whilst in lesson at Kempsey Primary School in Worcester
The Government had planned to begin a phased re-opening of schools from June 1, with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 going back first.
But this has been opposed by the National Education Union, which represents 450,000 teachers.
The union is demanding the Government provides scientific evidence to show that opening schools is safe.
Chiefs have also told teachers to demand detailed answers to at least 169 questions from their bosses on issues such as bin lids, coronavirus counselling and employing extra staff to clean paint brushes, scissors and glue sticks before agreeing to return to school.
However, the British Medical Association has performed a U-turn on its support for the teaching unions and said schools should reopen if it is safe to do so.
And leading World Health Organisation medic Dr David Nabarro has backed the phased return of schoolchildren saying: ‘There will be risks but it’s a case of balancing up the risks. You don’t want children staying at home and missing out on school for a long time.’
The research, a systematic review of more than 47 separate studies, found that children are at a low risk of catching, spreading and suffering severe symptoms of the disease, and unlikely to infect their families or teachers. Pictured: Schoolchildren in France
The new study, which was published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, surmised that opening schools and pre-schools is also unlikely to impact COVID-19 death rates among older people.
They also found that the children in the reviewed studies generally only mingled with their peers and parents, rather than older people more at risk, such as grandparents.
Professor Ludvigsson said there had not been a single reported case in Sweden of a child or teacher catching COVID-19 in school.
The country’s schools have remained open throughout the whole crisis.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘The UK has taken a hard hit from Covid-19. But the main issue is to protect the people who may die – and they are the old and middle-aged people with risk factors such as severe obesity and diabetes.
He added: ‘In Sweden a million children go to school each day and there have been no outbreaks in children or teachers.
‘This tells us there is real world evidence that children are not very contagious.’
Among studies reviewed by Professor Ludvigsson, one – in China – looked at 66 family clusters of the disease.
The study did not find any examples of children being the first to be infected, which is known as the ‘index case’.
The team of scientists at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institute, near Stockholm, in Sweden, concluded that keeping schools open is ‘unlikely’ to spread COVID-19
This suggests that children are not bringing infections home to their families.
Cambridge University statistician Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter said: ‘There have been, based on the data so far, extremely low risks to children.’
He told BBC Radio 4’s More Or Less: ‘Out of seven million five to 14-year-olds in England and Wales, so far the number of death certificates that have been revealed has been one death with Covid marked on it.
‘There will be more, there will be some coroners’ reports coming in. But it’s still an unbelievably low risk.’
He added that teachers do not appear to be at higher risk than many other professions.
They added that children are unlikely to catch it or to pass it on to their families
He also said that teachers did not appear to be at higher risk than many other professions.
Professor Maria Van Kerkhove, from the World Health Organisation task force for dealing with the virus said yesterday: ‘Children are susceptible and can transmit as well, but seem to be infected by their parents from adults in their household.
‘As authorities consider reopening schools, they must look at transmission intensity, can they be opened with safe physical distancing.’
Dr Peter English, the chairman of the British Medical Association’s public health medicine committee, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘The BMA wants schools to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so and the evidence allows – this could be before June 1 or after. A zero-risk approach is not possible.’
An NEU spokesman said: ‘We want the wider opening of schools when Government provides the scientific evidence to show it is safe to do so.’