Schools must reopen in a phased manner, says ICMR experts

ICMR experts suggested phased wise reopening of schools with several Covid-19 mitigation measures in place.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended a phase-wise reopening of Indian schools starting with the primary sections. The medical research body has also advised for multi-layered COVID-19 mitigation measures in schools.

The experts pointed at a UNESCO report that states the closure of Indian schools for over 500 days have affected more than 320 million children especially children from poor and deprived families.

ICMR experts said in The Indian Journal of Medical Research, "It is essential to realise the impact of prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall development of the children. Therefore, schools need to be re-opened in a phased manner (beginning with primary schools followed by secondary schools) and allowed to remain open and safe with appropriate implementation of multi-layered mitigation measures where children's participation remains essential."

"It is well known that COVID-19 transmission is an 'over-dispersed' phenomenon. Therefore, testing strategies in school settings could serve as key interventions to check the potential spread of the virus. It must also be acknowledged that the testing strategies for SARS-CoV-2 infection in schools should act as adjunct and not substitute to other organizational and behavioural interventions," the report further said.

The report also highlighted that there is sufficient evidence that the children aged between one to seventeen years have similar susceptibility to a mild form of Covid-19 infection as in adults. Though, the risk of mortality or severe disease due to Covid is much less in children as compared to adults.

The ICMR experts also suggested that the school teachers and transportation staff must be fully vaccinated and should continue to wear the mask.

Read more:

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• School Reopening: Teachers, students with medical conditions must be vaccinated, says WHO