New Delhi: Evidence shows that small children tend to contract Covid-19 and be given a re-opened experience “safe” in various countries before the development of vaccines, the education system does not need to wait for broad vaccination before returning to offline schools, according to the World Bank.
In a new policy note, the World Bank Education Team has noted that experiences from countries around the world where schools have reopened show that with adequate mitigation strategies, schools pose low risk for transmission of diseases between students, staff and society.
The team also noted that one year after the pandemic hit, we knew more about viruses and diseases and how to reduce the transmission and health authorities such as those who recommend school closure only as “the last resort”.
“Available evidence shows that small children tend to contract Covid-19, it is less likely to be serious or dead and tend to transmit disease to others.
Transmission in school has been low, especially for pre-primary schools and elementary schools, and Staff at school are more likely to get a virus from other staff, not from students, “said the World Bank.
“Given the experience of reopening safe in countries before the development of vaccines, often in the midst of high public transmission, the education system does not need to wait for vast vaccinations of school staff or other adults in the community before reopening, even though prioritizing vaccination hopefully eliminate Concerns will return to school for in-person instructions, “he added.
The note said that keeping the school closed eliminating the risk of transmission of disease in school, but also did not damage children’s learning, psychosocial health, and overall development.
“The decision to reopen the school must reflect the estimated evidence-based risk associated with the school and risks associated with keeping the school closed.
Experience from countries around the world where schools have reopened that with adequate mitigation strategies, low risk for Transmission among students, staff and community, “he said.
According to World Bank statistics, 80 percent of schools around the world are in regular sessions.
From them, 54 percent returned to In-people’s instructions, 34 percent rely on mixed instructions or hybrids while 10 percent continued remote instructions and 2 percent did not offer instructions at all.
“Schools are still closed where the government, community, teachers, or parents are afraid that the school opens back posing too much for the transmission of the disease.
In each context, it is important to measure the risks associated with the school, and the risk of keeping the school closed, so the reopening decision can be based on the risk assessment informed by evidence.
“In particular, we need evidence for students and school staff at their vulnerability to get Covid-19 and the ease of transmitting the disease to others, and whether opening the school contributes to the spread of Covid-19 in in the community.
Finally, we need to measure losses associated with the closure of the school.
A year and half to pandemic, such evidence is increasingly available, indicating that the closing cost of the school far exceeds the risk associated with the school opens with adequate mitigation strategies in place, “he said.
Last year, LED Pandemic Covid-19 to close global schools in more Of the 188 countries, leaving 1.6 billion children – 75 percent of students registered – out of school.
“When the Covid-19 pandemic spread inside and throughout the country in early 2020, we knew very little about viruses: how it spreads, Who is the most affected, and how to treat it.
To protect children and transmission of slow diseases, most of the government reacts by closing the school.
“One year later, we know more about viruses and diseases and how to reduce transmission and health authorities such as those who recommend closing schools only as the last choice,” he said.
Quoting evidence of low transmission Covid-19 among children, the World Bank said data from population supervising studies and contact search studies showed that compared to adults and adolescents, young people, especially those under the age of ten years, far away More susceptible to the Covid-19 contract and especially to transmit the disease.
“Among children who get Covid-19, severe diseases and deaths are rare and most often occur among children with the underlying disease,” he said.