Some countries are not closing schools because kids don't seem to be spreading this

[Quixote1818]

and closing schools puts a huge burden on poor families and the parents. A huge number of nurses have kids and now have to stay home with them.



Why Australia is not shutting schools to help control the spread of coronavirus

Medical officers have not recommended mass closures amid dissenting views on whether – and when – it will be necessary

Snip:
There is a particular risk associated with the fact that children may require care from vulnerable grandparents or may continue to associate (and transmit infection) outside of school settings.

Snip: What do independent experts say?
Prof Jonathan Carapetis, a paediatrician and a leading expert on infectious diseases, told Guardian Australia the medical community’s view is “not that straightforward” but everyone agrees a “balanced discussion” rather than knee-jerk reaction is required.

The executive director of Telethon Kids Institute said the argument for school closures is to prevent transmission from child to child and back to their family.

“But the evidence that closing schools will have a significant impact on transmission of the pandemic is not that strong,” he said.

“Children don’t seem to get severely unwell, they either get a mild version or show no signs of illness, so the early data is that they are not significantly involved in transmission.”

School closure “is not the panacea some may think”, Carapetis said, citing the fact it could take 10-20% of people out of the workforce and put parents and grandparents at risk of a more severe health outcome.

More: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/why-australia-is-not-shutting-schools-to-help-control-the-spread-of-coronavirus

Coronavirus: Why is the UK not shutting schools like other countries?

Snip: Many countries are taking tough measures to crack down on the spread of coronavirus, including school closures, an end to mass gatherings and severe travel restrictions. But the UK has adopted relatively modest control measures.

The differences can be partly explained by the fact some of these countries are further into their epidemics. But it's clear the UK has adopted a more nuanced approach.

Computer simulations indicate the UK is in the early stages of its epidemic which is expected to rise sharply in four weeks and peak in 10 and 14 weeks' time.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific adviser, and chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty have made the judgement call that it is too soon to impose severe restrictions at this stage.

Such restrictions might last several months and risk "self-isolation fatigue", with people leaving their homes just as the epidemic was at its height. The elderly are particularly at risk of developing severe symptoms. But many of them are already isolated. Cutting them off from their communities at this stage, when the risks are still relatively low, would create unnecessary difficulties for them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51874084

This expert was saying something similar and I have seen others say the same thing around the 9:30 mark:

[gollygee]

1. Not getting very sick and not spreading are two different things.

My kids are home and I feel like that's for the best.

[Mike 03]

6. Exactly this.

It's amazing to me that some people are having so much trouble fitting those two pieces of the puzzle together.

Two things can both be true: Children may not be as prone to adverse outcomes. They can contract and spread the disease.

Additionally, some of the later data emerging from Italy warns that they are seeing younger and younger people with complications from the virus at hospitals.

[OnDoutside]

7. As what was explained to us is that kids are vectors, not victims. If they're carrying it and go

visiting the grandparents, or someone with an underlying illness, then that's where the problem is. Kids are unlikely to observe social distancing within classrooms, play areas etc so while it may appear draconian, it is the right thing to do.

[MissMillie]

8. Yeppers (n/t)

.

[Quixote1818]

10. Yes, but the point many pathologists make is with kids out of school and parents working

the grandparents often become the primary caregiver putting them in contact with the children ten fold than before. If they are at school they can be kept away from grandparents. I do wonder about teachers who are older though as they need to be taken into account.

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Estimate is that up to 20% of cases are asymptomatic (but can still transmit the virus)

which is one of the arguments for social distancing and school closures/working from home/etc.

[SlogginThroughIt]

3. I have never heard of a virus with an age limit.

[Hortensis]

4. Wow. I wanted to hear that children repelled the virus

and left it on the school grounds. Instead we have "balanced," meaning between costs of closing versus increased death rates, and early data that they're "not significantly involved in transmission." Clearly, the chance to save as many middle-aged and elderly people from death as possible lacks significance compared to its costs.

I hope it's true that children are transmitting it less, but even so it's extremely unlikely to be an epidemiological argument for keeping schools open.

In some other epidemics, and the specific pathogen's characteristics do matter of course, closing schools was found to be a critical factor in control of the epidemiological wave. Those that closed before the first case had the biggest positive effect, and staying closed to the end was also extremely important.

Btw, does this paediatrician have any stats for projected new numbers of orphaned children?

[Igel]

12. It's a challenge as to who to show care and concern for.

Child health.

Education.

Nutrition.

Supervision.

"Socialization" and instilling the right opinions.


Schools are thought of as being primarily for content-based education, but if you scratch the surface you find that for many that's second, third, or fourth rung. It's more important to feed them, keep them out of trouble, make sure they're good citizens and have the correct attitudes. I've seen arguments that one reason to not close schools is because they launder the children's clothing (my school does, but only on an ad hoc basis; it serves two meals a day to many.)

For some, it's put as the choice between risking students' health or letting them be malnourished. In that consideration, they usually assume only the kids on free/reduced meals actually have merit, because they're the ones the "considerers" actively consider.

[Hortensis]

14. Yes. So much is involved in the care of children.

Of course, the home support structure, parents and grandparents, and other primary caregivers, their homes, also needs to be kinda high on the list of a child's needs. We all know it's hardly uncommon for older, and even very elderly, people to be raising children.

We're going to have a whole new societal category of COVID-19 orphans by the time this epidemic "washes through," as Trump likes to say, removing many retired people from SocSec and other entitlement programs.

[dalton99a]

5. Catch it, bring it home and kill Grandma

[Quixote1818]

9. One of the points is that with kids out of school and parents working the Grandparents end up the

primary caregivers putting them at a much higher risk than before.

[Yavin4]

11. I don't trust any exper who goes on Joe Rogan's show

That show is all "bro science". Also, Joe spread the rumor that Hillary Clinton had an FBI agent killed.

[Jersey Devil]

13. With virtually no testing, how does anyone know if kids spread Covid19 or not?

It's just a guessing game. Play Russian Roulette with gramma and grandpa.