Even if the corona incidence among school children in Bavaria has recently decreased, the girls and boys will continue to be regularly tested for an infection after the holidays from Monday (7 March). “We still have a lot of infections in Bavaria, especially among children and young people,” said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health in Munich. “One shouldn’t forget that they too can be affected by Long-Covid, for example.” In very rare cases, a Sars-CoV-2 infection can lead to Pims postviral inflammatory syndrome.
“The infection protection measures at school – in particular the regular tests, wearing masks and infection protection-friendly ventilation, in many classrooms already supported by air filters – are very important to prevent the spread of infections.” There are around 1.6 million school-age children and young people in Bavaria. The mask in physical education classes will no longer apply to them in the future.
The professional association of paediatricians recently called for the obligation to carry out corona tests without cause in schools to be lifted and the obligation to wear masks to be fundamentally reviewed. “We are now in a situation in which older age groups can protect themselves through vaccinations, so schools and daycare centers must remain open regardless of the infection process,” federal spokesman Jakob Maske told the editorial network Germany. In the past, politicians have repeatedly made decisions that did not take the best interests of the child into account. “This has led to severe psychological impairments, but also to a significant increase in social differences.”
When the second half of the school year starts on Monday, the students at the primary and special schools have to take a quick corona test. There are also PCR pool tests twice a week. In the 5th and 6th grade there will also be comprehensive PCR pool tests in the future. At all other schools, the girls and boys test themselves three times a week. Alternatively, a negative PCR or POC antigen rapid test is also accepted. “Changes to these test frequencies are not planned at this point in time,” said the ministry spokeswoman.
In a pool test, samples from several people are examined together as a collective sample – this saves time and material. If this pool sample is positive, all persons are examined individually again.
“Bavaria will adjust the measures step by step as the development of the pandemic makes it necessary and possible,” said the ministry spokeswoman. In contrast to football games, theater performances or the pub, attending school is compulsory for young people. “Thus, there is a great responsibility to make school operations as safe as possible, also from an infection protection perspective.”
The corona incidences in Bavaria had recently fallen across almost all age groups – including among school-age children, where the numbers are still the highest. For the age group of six to eleven years, the seven-day incidence was 3473, as the State Office for Health and Food Safety announced at the beginning of the week. That’s more than 500 fewer than a week earlier, but the value still remains around twice as high as in the general population.
Other children of school age are also affected by Corona above average – but here too the numbers have recently fallen noticeably: among 12 to 15 year olds, the seven-day incidence also fell by around 500 to now 2839. In the group of 16 – up to 19-year-olds, the value fell by a good 200 to 2676 now.
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