Prepare For Increased COVID-19 Cases In Children As Schools Reopen

By Nsunjo Erica

On the rise of schools reopening in several countries after months of closure to combat the spread of COVID-19, experts warn of a possible surge in COVID-19 cases amongst children.

Experts say that while children generally don’t get as sick with the coronavirus as adults, they are not immune and there is much to learn about how easily they can transmit it to others in case it is contracted.

There is an expected incidence of COVID-19 rise in school-age children as many of them return to their classrooms where interactions with different other children from different communities are expected.

Although governments have ordered school heads to implement proper directives as specified by the Ministries of Health, experts still warn that the spread of the virus amongst children should still be expected. Schools will implement measures on earlier days upon reopening and negligence may arise amidst.

According to medical analysts, governments shouldn’t just instruct schools to implement measures but however ensure that the importance of masks, hand-washing, social distancing, and other precautions is continuously observed.

But experts also say many school-age children who may get sick might not be getting infected in classrooms but from outside, to and from school as they continuously meet and interact with different people.

COVID-19 cases in schools are expected to rise more in colleges as students may tend to start partying and going to bars.  School children may also contract the virus at playdates, sleepovers, sports, and other activities where precautions aren’t being taken

Cases amongst children upon school reopening are also expected to arise from different school staff members like cooks, teaches, cleaners, name it, who also move in and out of schools engaging with different people and work on a personal basis.

The Centers for Disease Control said that global school learning can be safe when transmission rates in the larger community are low, however, the transmission of the virus is stubborn even when measures are being taken.

Medical experts also noted that testing amongst children in some countries where schools already reopened like the US is most often done on people with symptoms, and children with the coronavirus often have none. This is yet another risk.

READ: Global COVID-19 Deaths Have Surpassed 1 Million

Current Update On The Spread Of COVID-19

According to a tally of cases compiled by Johns Hopkins University, more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19 around the world, and these numbers are alarming to the World Health Organization.

The data compiled by the university indicates that the overall number of cases has breached the 33million-mark and the deaths have increased to 1,000,555.

The United States alone accounts for over 25 percent of COVID-19 deaths and it is the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 7,115,338 and 204,758, respectively

Reports indicate that India comes in the second place in terms of cases at 6, 074,702, while the country’s death toll soared to 95,542.

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