New report finds schools are not high risk settings for transmission of Covid-19 - Talk of the Town

The possibility of schools re-opening has moved a step closer following a report from the Health Service Executive which found that they are not high risk settings for the transmission of Covid-19.

The report published in a European journal on infectious disease surveillance concludes that the reopening of schools should be considered as an early rather than a late measure in the lifting of restrictions.

The public health experts examined all known cases of the disease where those involved had been in a school environment in this country.

There were six cases – three children and three adults – including one teacher.

An examination of more than 1,000 contacts of these cases in the school settings, showed there were no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the following 14 days.

The contacts were exposed in the classroom, during sports lessons, music lessons and choir practice for a religious ceremony, which involved a number of schools mixing in a church environment.

The authors say there are “no zero risk approaches, but the school environment appears to be low risk.”

In the case of the three children, no cases of onward transmission to other children or adults were identified in a variety of settings. These included music lessons – for woodwind instruments – and choir practice, both high risk activities for transmission.

No onward transmission from the three identified adult cases to children was identified.

The only documented transmission that occurred was between two of the adults and another adult in a working environment outside school.