Should schools close during the second wave of the coronavirus?
If so (or not), why? Neighbouring Austria has closed all schools in an attempt to curb a second corona wave. In Switzerland there are no plans as yet to follow suit.
Experts continue to be divided over the role of children in driving the pandemic.
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From the article Swiss schools stay open as debate over virus spread continues
The schools need to stay open. The example I am looking at is that with the closing of the schools in the US suicide rates among children have ski-rocketed up, also visits to hospitals for depression and other stress and mental issues has gone way up as well as calls to emergency call lines. This while children are minimal spreaders at best and most teachers are young enough to not be at risk. The need to keep schools open for socialization as well at learning far out way the risks. This from a person who is at high risk of infection as well as a care taker of elderly parents who are at even greater risk. the real needs of people need to be balanced against the risks.
Close the schools
In the Gymnasium where my daughter attends school there have been 5 recorded cases since the beginning of the school year, in a school of about 600 children. I myself have private German lessons with a teacher from a secondary school where there have been exactly 0 cases reported in a school also about 600 children.
Of course these are anecdotal examples and do not cover the whole country but until now the super spreader events have been in gatherings which are not typical for school children, e.g. Yodelling, where the average age is rather 60 .
Studies that claim children influence in a massive way the transmission of the virus, without backing that claim with any data, like number of positive tested children both in absolute value and as percentage, since the beginning of the school year, should be discarded as completely useless and nobody should base a decision on them.
Schools should definitely not close due to the virus. This is especially true for primary school children. The most recent study of such students who are not in school show them to be falling behind dreadfully. Beyond this, children are by nature very social and need this contact to develop. The risk of them receiving or transmitting corona is so low that it is unjust to thwart their growth for the sake of a few. It is unfortunate that there is literally no public debate about the overall cost (I don't mean simply economical here) of all the restrictions we are placing upon our society as a whole. This doesn't even take into accou t the huge strain on families when kids are at home. Keep the schools open.
We used to care, but next year we can send our children to school in Germany and they said the kids can study online at the school we found. Safe and cheap for everyone.
Schools should be closed yes during this beginning of the second wave of Covid-19. It is necessary to consider the studies and impacts on people who are asymptomatic, and therefore are potentially transmitters of the virus, according to the studies of major infectious disease research centers in several European countries, mainly. It is urgent to have actions that respect the lives of children and their families in a situation of global pandemic crisis.
As escolas deveriam estar fechadas sim durante este início da segunda onda da Covid-19. É preciso considerar os estudos e impactos sobre as pessoas que são assintomáticas, e por isso são potencialmente transmissoras do vírus, de acordo com os estudos dos grandes centros de pesquisas em infectologia de diversos países europeus, principalmente. É urgente se ter ações que respeitem as vidas de crianças e seus familiares em situação de crise pandêmica mundial.
We should have all companies move to the public shcools. Since we don't have thousands of dead teachers it means the schools are immune to the virus
But Casino Zurich remains open...focus on the hot-spots as well
A handful of teachers in my children's schools (Gymnasium) have indirectly and openly defied the Covid Measures. They wear masks but they do not wear them properly (nose exposed). The sports teacher also asked the students to place all their used masks together on the wall hangers (in a big bunch).
These teachers feel inconvenienced by the restrictions and they are "teaching" the young students how to "rebel".
That is why we have so many disgruntled people in our society. They protest for the smallest discomfort and ignore the greater good.
Close the schools. Online only until we get it back into single digit cases per day.
Yes - during the 1st wave, almost everywhere was closed. Result, one of the lowest cases of Covid. 2nd wave, schools, most businesses, etc open. Result, one of the highest cases of Covid. Full lockdown is the only answer. Also, close all the borders. Probably for a very short time. A month or so. Society will survive. After that, everyone wear masks everywhere, and rubber gloves to stop transmission when touching things. Until we all get the vaccine.
Because of the mask and the fact that 2 of our 3 kids have asthma, we decided to remove them from school and send them to their grandparents in Australia. Things are quire a bit more normal there.
We'll leave switzerland as well in February when we can depart the apartment. I'm sad to see this situation because I was born here.
Move all the children in buses. None of the bus drivers wears a mask and I know 3 drivers. None of them knows a single driver who is or was sick. Obviously the key is for everyone to be in the front side of the bus and they are immune to the virus. That or turn the whole country into a football team. Not one football player ever died of the virus and all those diagnosed positive are fine after a month at home.
Why not take a survey of parents and see what their opinion is.
Schools are an essential service. Younger children in particular have not been recorded as the key drivers or receivers of the virus. This data is key. The negative public health repercussions for closing schools must always be accounted for. See "Estimation of US Children’s Educational Attainment and Years of Life Lost Associated With Primary School Closures During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic": https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2772834
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