Thread by @DrEricDing

💡Multi-layered mitigations can substantially reduce the risk of transmission within schools & into households. 🇬🇧 experts recommend set of recommendations in line with CDC & practiced in many countries to reduce the risk in schools / mitigate #COVID19. 🧵
thelancet.com/journals/lance…

2) Here is a list of the expert recommendations for safer schools so that kids can attend schools safer and keep them healthy.

3) “Arguments that schools do not contribute to community transmission & overall risk to children from COVID-19” have had major limitations. Here is why: academic.oup.com/cid/advance-ar…

4) “Both modelling and real-world data in preprint showing rising cases where the #SARSCoV #B117 variant was prevalent suggest that opening schools without robust mitigatory measures will probably lead to Rt rising above 1 in almost all scenarios”. cmmid.github.io/topics/covid19…

5) “Although COVID-19 is unlikely to cause severe disease in children, the prevalence of long COVID symptoms based on ONS Infection Survey suggest that 13% of children aged 2–10 year and 15% of those aged 12–16 years have at least one persistent symptom 5 weeks after positive.”

6) “Given uncertainty around the long-term health effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, it would be unwise to let the virus circulate in children, with consequent risk to their families.”

7) “Reopening fully in high community transmission without appropriate safeguards risks depriving many children of education and social interaction again, worsening existing inequalities. By contributing to community transmission, it also provides fertile ground for new variants.

8) “Making schools safer goes hand in hand with reducing community transmission and is essential to allow schools to safely reopen and remain open.”

9) This paper is due to the work of many researchers, led by @dgurdasani1 @Dr2NisreenAlwan @DrZoeHyde @trishgreenhalgh @SarahDRasmussen

https://twitter.com/dr2nisreenalwan/status/1369797293822644227