Assam schools reopened in the State after a gap of six long months. And on the flip side there is a spurt in the number of Covid-19 cases in the State. The State Government has declared the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for partial resumption of academic activities in schools from Classes IX to XII maintaining all the health protocols.
So far, data suggests that children under the age of 18 years represent about 8.5% of reported cases, with relatively few deaths compared to other age groups and usually mild disease. However, cases of critical illness have been reported. As with adults, pre-existing medical conditions have been suggested as a risk factor for severe disease and intensive care admission in children. Further studies are underway to assess the risk of infection in children and to better understand transmission in this age group.
As children generally have milder illness and fewer symptoms, cases may sometimes go unnoticed. Importantly, studies suggest that infection rates among teenagers may be higher than in younger children.
Schools can be high-risk places. And there’s a lot of mixing, because children come from across the neighbourhood, some on public transport, and often with their parents in tow. School closures have clear negative impacts on child health, education and development.
Earlier in the pandemic, it appeared that the virus might affect children differently from adults. Because children had milder symptoms, it was assumed they might be less infectious. But now there is evidence that children can spread the virus to other people, especially those living in the same household. Several studies show that once children are infected, they are no less infectious than adults.
With easing of restrictions in ‘Unlock 4’, the government has allowed partial reopening of schools for class 9 to class 12 students on voluntary basis. In order to control the disease outbreak among students, teachers and other staff members, government has issued guidelines,including generic preventive measures, protocols in planning of reopening schools, while transportation, risk communication — that need to be followed by the school authorities.
According to WHO schools should be following some guidelines. Based on what is learned from this monitoring, further modifications should be made to continue to provide children and staff with the safest environment possible. The following should be monitored:
- effectiveness of symptoms-reporting, monitoring, rapid testing, and tracing of suspected cases
- the effects of policies and measures on educational objectives and learning outcomes
- the effects of policies and measures on health and well-being of children, siblings, staff, parents and other family members
- the trend in school dropouts after lifting the restrictions
- the number of cases in children and staff in the school, and the frequency of school-based outbreaks in the local administrative area and the country.
- Assessment of impact of remote teaching on learning outcomes.
To stay safe, there are a number of steps schools should take to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Such as Physical distancing, Cloth face coverings & hand hygiene, classroom changes, Testing & temperature checks, Cleaning and disinfecting, etc. But does schools authority will follow the protocols? Are Students Safe in School?