Quick thread on latest @ONS infection survey data, which is very informative!
FYI: the survey involves mass random population testing for #COVID19 in England and Wales, so is not biased by symptoms/test seeking - so very useful indeed!
1/7
I can't go any further without pointing out the massive regional disparities between the north and south of England
Whilst not completely straight forward, this is likely in part due to socioeconomic differences which we know influence effects of disease transmission
2/7
But of course, I'm interested in the KIDS!
Schools open for nearly 6 weeks with fairly limited infection mitigation, and cases rising exponentially across the country
What's happening with primary school age kids?
Not much at all
Even I am surprised about that
3/7
Well we've heard a lot about young adults, what's going on there?
Oh crumbs
Turns out, what little kids are to flu, young adults are to #SARSCoV2
This is where all the action is
4/7
So what about secondary aged kids?
Not awful, but not going the right way. Big difference from primary age at least.
My contacts at @PHE_uk tell me most cases in schools are isolated and outbreaks only small, so I imagine a lot of this is due to community spread leaking in
5/7
What does this mean?
Primary schools look unlikely to be a bother (???could even relax isolation restrictions) - clear evidence young children less effected
Secondary school rise best combatted by reducing community spread. Need to get it down; young adult transmission key
6/7
FYI this is why you MUST be careful with age bins
People focussed about increasing cases in "10 - 19yo" miss that the vast majority of this is in the 16-19yo group, not schools
@ONS right to focus on grouping by policy implication
They are a national treasure 🏆
7/7
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"The education and well-being of the current generation of children and young people should be the highest priority in any national strategy to reopen society."
Children have been spared the worst of disease from the pandemic, even considering the extremely rare post-COVID-19 hyperinflammatory syndrome
But school closures have been harming children, so the question regarding their role in transmission has loomed large
2/8
A new study from brings us a step closer to understanding
In a meta analysis of contact tracing studies, children acquire the infection less than adults. Looking at household transmission specifically, by less than half (OR 0.41, 95%CI 0.22 - 0.76)
2 groups of scientists with opposing viewpoints on handling the pandemic write open letters to the chief medical officers
Strangely I found them both compelling, and agree with the majority of both letters
Links in following tweets
1/4
First a group recommending more acknowledgment of non-COVID harms of interventions, and recognition of the age disparity in risk for future interventions
There has never been more confusion about the role of children in transmission of #SARSCoV2 , and tensions are running high over implications for #schoolsreopening
When considering transmission risk we must consider 2 classes of factors;
Non-modifiable: The biology of the host and pathogen
Modifiable: Behavioural or environmental influence
Since we can change the latter via policy/guidance etc, we'll focus on the former
2/13
How easily to children catch the virus?
Household contact tracing studies suggest less easily than adults; by about half given the same exposure, based on 4 reviews of all the evidence (links in next tweet)
I've almost given up on any balanced discourse about children, #COVID19 and schools, as everyone seems intent on either pretending children are not affected at all, or becoming borderline hysterical over the point
Case study: US daycares
1/6
This study from daycares in Utah has been amplified by high profile figures on twitter as a "big deal"
12 children infected (by staff) with 12 secondary cases, all in their homes, with no mention of transmission in the facility