The report describes the situation based on large-scale studies that might be helpful to officials who struggle with deciding when or whether to close schools, knowing that such closures harm children (mental health, domestic violence, and even loss of life).
The commonalities of the studies conducted in different countries (Iceland, India, Germany, China, Switzerland) by various researchers (Kári Stefánsson, Kaiyuan Sun, Alasdair Munro, Susanne Kuger) are the following, which are supported by theories such as or children have fewer ACE2 receptors or their smaller lungs are not as good at projecting droplets or producing aerosols:
- Children under 15 years of age were about half as likely to be infected as adults and transmitted the virus at half the rate of adults. Almost all coronavirus transmission to children came from adults, supporting the conclusion that infected adults pose a greater risk to children than children pose to adults.
- Children between the ages of 5 and 9 were up to 22.7 percent less likely to be infected, and the risk increased with age. Around the time of puberty, the risk of adolescents both getting and passing on the virus increases.
- Children are not the drivers of the disease, but people in their 20s and 30s who trigger outbreaks that then spread to both older people and children.
Taking all of this evidence into account, experts (Fiona Russell, Brett Sutton) stress that it is imperative that schools be opened first priority and closed last, not because they are inherently dangerous, but to prevent the movement of people. Therefore, school authorities must consider the age factor and make a distinction between younger children and adolescents.