Arnaud Fontanet, institut Pasteur, sign this study shows that there is no infection by the children in the schools.
children 6 to 11 years pass little the Covid-19 at the school, either to other students or adults, a finding is “reassuring” by the time the schools reopened, according to a French study made public Tuesday.
“Typically, children are infected in families, by parents more often, but after that, convey very little to the school,” says its lead author, Arnaud Fontanet, Institut Pasteur. These works confirm other similar observations, even if their results remain preliminary since they have not yet been published in a scientific journal, points out Pastor.
A small brick to other studies
Based on antibody detection tests, the study was conducted in six primary schools of Crépy-en-Valois (Oise), common and very affected by the epidemic in February-march. This represents a total of 1340 individuals (510 children, 76 parents, 42 teachers, most of the personal non-teachers and family members).
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The researchers have identified three children from three different schools who were infected with the novel coronavirus at the time when the schools were still open (they were closed mid-February for the holidays and then the containment in the red zone). However, these three children have infected person at school, whether it be other students or adults.
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The low number of cases and the duration of exposure is relatively short (three weeks, between late January and mid-February) to limit the scope of this report. For all that, “it is a small brick addition” to other similar observations around the world, ” says the Pr Fontanet. Several previous works have shown that the children emitted little the Covid-19, so that the analogy with other viral diseases such as influenza was first made to assume the reverse. “To my knowledge, there has never been any outbreak (of Covid-19) part of a school,” continues the Pr Fontanet.
Before the exit of the containment in France on 11 may, the scientific Council with the responsibility to enlighten the government, which is part of the Pr Fontanet, called for yet a closure of schools until September. This recommendation had not been followed. At the time, “the scientific Council was reserved because the question was difficult to solve,” recalls the Pr Fontanet.
teachers little affected
In fact, other studies showed that children could have a viral load as high as that of adults, which could be a concern that they are just as contagious. “By putting it all in the balance, the scientific Council had opted instead for the care,” argues the researcher. “But now, with all of the studies that are available, I agree to say that the risk of transmission in the primary schools is low,” he continued.
The schools and colleges of France have been reopened to all Monday. Until then, only a small proportion of pupils was welcomed, and not every day, and that was more dissatisfaction among the parents. To allow the return of all students, the health protocol has been relaxed.
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“The risk of starting an epidemic from a school, or a teacher to be infected from students under the age of 10 years, appears to be very low. In contrast, for high school students, I am more reserved,” says the Pr Fontanet.
another study he had conducted at a secondary school in Crépy-en-Valois, published at the end of April, showed that the epidemic was flamed, in contrast to what was observed in the primary schools. On the 1340 persons included in the study on primary schools, 139 (81 adults and 58 children) have been infected with the novel coronavirus at one time or another. In children, this represents a proportion of 8.8%.
61% of parents of infected children were also, as compared to only 6.9% of parents of children with a non-infected. The researchers deduce that it is most of the time, parents who have affected children, and not the reverse. The teachers, themselves, were little affected : only 3 out of 42 have been infected (7%). Finally, more than 41% of the infected children (24 of 58) did not report symptoms (compared to 9.9% among adults).
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“Covid-19”, the new coronavirus
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“This confirms what we already knew : the children are of mild forms of the disease, with signs very non-specific” (mainly diarrhea and fatigue to those of this study), or no symptoms at all, according to the Pr Fontanet.
