mask of duty in the classroom? Mandatory testing for teachers and students? To discuss the beginning of the new school year, experts on measures to be taken for a Corona-safe lessons. For children developed medical and hygiene experts to develop a common approach.
FOCUS Online spoke with the children’s Infectious disease specialists Johannes Hübner about the dangers from the Start of the new school year is going out and what measures to take to schools, to protect children and teachers.
About the expert
Johannes Hübner Deputy medical Director of the Dr. von Hauner’schen children’s hospital, Klinikum of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich and Chairman of the German society for paediatric infectious diseases is. In addition, he is a specialist in Microbiology and infection epidemiology. Together with colleagues from the German Academy for Pediatrics and adolescent medicine, the German society for pediatric infectious diseases and the German society for hospital hygiene, he developed a concept to rules and measures to ensure safe operation in educational institutions.
FOCUS Online: Mr. Hübner, you have given the infection to happen in children and in schools. What do you think of the schools now open again, and in some cases already re-opened?
Johannes Huebner To return to the classroom no way around it. It is our most urgent task, because the Lockdown, the children suffered extremely. Various studies have shown that quite clearly.
children have spent during the Home-Schoolings, only a fraction of the time for school as usual. We risk, that we depend on for a Generation. Many things can’t be so easy to catch up.
But children suffer also social under the closing. You need your playmates, you need contact with their peers. Also schools and kindergartens are important.
And we also see that child neglect is increasing, as are child abuse and violence. Mostly, it is the teachers who are aware of – for example, when a child appears with a black eye to the lessons. Education in Corona times: Take part in our big survey!
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the schools Can do so easily re-open it? After all, the infectivity of children is not clarified so far clearly.
Hübner: That may be so, however, we have openings for schools and School already a relatively large number of data. Whether from Asia or other European countries, there are very, very many reports. The majority of the studies shows that children are less at risk and the schools are no hot spots for outbreaks, in contrast to Restaurants or meat factories.
And there are many examples of countries where the school-work openings. That is what we should strive for. For example, of countries such as Denmark, Sweden or Norway. We need to open up the schools again. This is one of the most important tasks in the context of this pandemic. We only need to consider how. And we have to do it well.
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How do we do that well – what we need to pay attention to?
Hübner: A very important point: The great danger of an infection is not only from the students but also the teachers. You look at the studies to previous school outbreaks: In the majority of cases, the teachers have carried the Virus into the schools clean.
An example of this is the outbreak at a school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the past week. In a high school, was there taken ill of a teacher, who himself had had no contact with students.
But she had a lot of contact with your colleagues, then the school was closed. Teachers need to be particularly careful, especially in dealing with each other.
How could such school closures be avoided due to various infections because?
Hübner: probably The most crucial measure of consistency of groups. We could set, for example, that children must always remain in the classroom. And that you will be taught in this class from as little teachers. Because then, when an infection occurs, it must not be closed as a reflex of the whole school.
probably The most important measure is the consistency of groups.
Instead, one is limited to the group that was actually exposed to it. Only those who stay at home, get a swab. And if you are negative, then you can return to the school.
- More on the topic: children’s physicians-in-chief promotes Opening: “the risk that schools are Hotspots, is low,”
What measures are important? How do you feel about the mask duty?
Hübner: In the present Situation, with relatively few cases, it is sufficient if children wear on the way to the class room a mask. Once they are in place, you can take off this. This is the proposal of our concept, but can be adjusted if necessary, and must.
for example, when it comes to a real outbreak and to Transfers within the school, which is not otherwise control. This may be a Situation in which a school closure could only be avoided if instead, a strict mask of duty in the classroom would be set. Unfortunately, there is no “One-Size-Fits-All”solution. There must, in future, be differentiated.
should that be a distinction?
Hübner: first Of all, we must distinguish according to the age of the children. We need to divide them into groups, such as students under the age of ten, from ten to 15 or from 15 to 20 years.
Younger children from what we know so far, less risk, not to infect someone than Older, although the reasons for this are not yet clear.
in addition, we have to distinguish according to the frequency of infections in the environment. In the current Situation, with relatively few cases, we can also open relatively safe schools. And it’s not needed then not too many infection prevention measures.
The situation changes, if there are in certain regions of the outbreak Cluster. Or if the frequency of infections is increasing in General.
There are also Considerations to test students and teachers in the future on a regular basis to prevent outbreaks in schools.
Hübner: I think the routine testing of teachers and students would be organizationally and financially difficult to implement. And, honestly, I also think it is not particularly goal-oriented. Instead, you should only test that the also show symptoms, or children, the evidence had to be in contact with a positive Person.
This could be difficult, especially if it will be in the autumn and Winter common cold waves.
Hübner: We will have to differ. A child with a slight runny nose without a fever and cough may go to school. A child who has a fever and cough, feels bad, and stays at home. This was true also in times of Corona – and do it now as well.
What if the infection of the figures would rise sharply?
Hübner: Even if there are more cases, we should the operation of the school as long as possible. This must be a priority! In Scotland, for example, was decided, first that all the Bars and Pubs remain closed, to prevent the spread of the population – the schools should remain in turn open. Because you are important.
I think this is a political decision that must be made here. We need to consider a variety of measures in the areas of public life against each other – even if it is painful. And from my point of view, the schools is one of the last areas that we should close. However, the Openings must be of course be controlled, according to specific concepts and is based on the previous experience. And we need to monitor these Openings closely scientific.
How this Monitoring might look like?
Hübner: are now carried out studies in the whole of Germany, we coordinate such in Bavaria. We want to be able to investigate schools and figure out where it comes to infections, be it the children or the teachers. And if we see that there are problems, then we need to discuss the measures and concepts again.
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