Australian Corona Study: Risk Managing Well in Schools message

SYDNEY / LONDON (dpa-AFX) – According to a study from Australia, the risk of corona outbreaks in schools and kindergartens can be kept low with measures such as contact tracking. Although teachers, caregivers and children infected with the virus visited their respective facilities when they were already infectious, only a few other people were infected there, researchers in the journal “The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health” report. The effective tracking of contacts of infected people is the key to preventing the spread in schools and day care centers.

Unlike in many other countries, schools in Australia remained open during the first wave of spread, accompanied by distance and hygiene rules. Researchers led by Kristine Macartney from the University of Sydney had recorded infection numbers and routes for 25 schools and kindergartens in the state of New South Wales from January to April. If there was proof in a facility, the close contacts of the person concerned were identified. These people were encouraged to quarantine for 14 days and regularly asked for symptoms. If there was one, a test was initiated.

12 children and 15 teachers / carers therefore verifiably visited their respective institution at a time when they were infectious – that is, about the day before the first symptoms appeared. Of their 1448 contacts there, only 18 fell ill with Covid-19. In addition to three schools, a kindergarten was particularly affected, in which one adult transmitted the virus to six adults and seven children. A detailed analysis, which also included antibody tests, showed that Sars-CoV-2 was transmitted significantly more frequently between adults or from one adult to a child than from one child to an adult or between children.

The researchers also address limitations in the meaningfulness of their results: Most of the close contacts were only tested if they developed symptoms. It can be assumed that some cases that were mild or asymptomatic were therefore not recorded. In addition, the schools remained open, but the children were encouraged to learn from home if possible. Shortly before the start of the holiday in April, a large proportion of the students made use of it ./kll/DP/zb

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