COMMENT: The benefits of attending school outweigh the risks and public schools should be allowed to reopen for all learners
between children with few reported large outbreaks in schools in any country. This supports the argument that asymptomatic children attending schools are unlikely to be significant spreaders of the disease.
By July 25 only 3% of all Covid-19 cases in children required admission to hospital in South Africa and only 26 Covid-19 related deaths were reported in children aged 0 to18. since the onset of the pandemic. Research from seven high income countries on 42 846 confirmed paediatric Covid-19 cases showed 44 Covid-19 deaths versus 107 influenza paediatric deaths during the current pandemic.
Even though there is scant data on the role of comorbidities in children, the department of basic education has already made provision to allow high risk learners to stay at home. In addition, all school staff members with comorbidities have also been allowed to stay at home without any loss of income, to lower the risk of illness.
Many learners are already under emotional and psychological stress as a result of poverty, malnutrition, crowded living conditions, child abuse, gender-based violence and other violent crime. It seems illogical to close all schools in all provinces and districts if community transmission rates vary so significantly. Allowing school communities to monitor and manage their risks based on local transmission would enable more schools to continue with their activities and limit interruptions.
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