Contents
From September 1, students will return to schools – the head of the Ministry of National Education, Dariusz Piontkowski, announced at the beginning of August. The decision caused and still causes a lot of anxiety. There are voices that it is too early to open schools, that we must take into account the increase in infections and periodic closures of schools in which there will be diseases. However, there are countries that have restored traditional science in April or May. What were the effects? Has it resulted in an increase in infections?
- On August 5, the Ministry of National Education announced that the school year would traditionally begin on September 1. Classes are to be held in classrooms. Meanwhile, there are countries that decided to start school lessons in April and May. Has this caused an increase in infections?
- Most schools in Sweden have been left open. Only students aged 16 and over stayed at home and studied remotely. “The decision to keep schools open during the pandemic has not resulted in a higher infection rate among students than in neighboring Finland, where schools have been temporarily closed”
- Taiwan has not decided to close schools nationwide. Such measures were only local in nature and decisions were made on the basis of local infection rates
- Denmark was the first country in Europe to choose to reopen schools. “There are no negative effects of the reopening of the facilities,” said epidemiologist Peter Andersen
- In May schools opened in Israel. At the turn of June and July, the number of infections began to increase rapidly. COVID-19 cases have also occurred among students and teachers. Several hundred Israeli schools have been closed again
On August 5, the Ministry of National Education announced that the school year would traditionally begin on September 1. From September, the main model of work in schools will be stationary classes. A mixed model will also be possible: the school principal, after a positive opinion from the Department of Health and Safety, will be able to decide that some children or classes will attend school in the traditional form, and some will learn at a distance. With a greater epidemiological threat, the transition of the entire school to distance education will come into play.
On August 17, the Minister of National Education, Dariusz Piontkowski reminded that in schools, students will not have to cover their noses and mouths with masks. “However, if there was an increase in infections, the number of cases in the yellow or red poviats, it would of course be possible to introduce this additional obligation” – he added. The minister emphasized that in schools it will be necessary to regularly wash hands and disinfect them before entering the building. There will also be an obligation to ventilate classrooms at least once an hour. “Piontkowski, when asked if, in the light of the disturbing data on the increase in coronavirus infections in Poland, if he were the father of schoolchildren, he would be afraid of their stay at school, he replied: I would calmly send the children to schools” – writes PAP.
On Twitter and on the website (www.gov.pl/web/edukacja), the Ministry of National Education publishes a set of questions and answers in connection with the return of students to schools from September 1. These are i.a. recommendations for parents, students and teachers. Below is an entry from August 17th.
Concerns about the opening of schools not only in Poland
Meanwhile, there are many fears related to the start of education. There are voices that it is too early to open schools. On August 19, a text on this topic was published in «DGP». The newspaper cites an analysis made by the team of Dr. Franciszek Rakowski from the Interdisciplinary Modeling Center of the University of Warsaw (ICM), which shows that if we open all the facilities at the same time, the number of daily cases may increase up to several thousand cases a day. “As a result, even several dozen poviats will be on the red list with the most severe restrictions” – indicates “DGP” (after PAP)
The problem with going back to school is not only due to the fact that without introducing precautionary measures, such as bubbles (groups smaller than the class that learn and spend their free time together, not mixing with the children from other bubbles), school children practically they are in touch with others all the time. «It is also problematic that many of them will only just come back from vacation. Sometimes foreign. It is possible that with an infection » – marks the diary. «This is the moment when the children bring illnesses from their holidays. It would be worth delaying the opening for two weeks »- explains Dr. Jakub Zieliński from ICM.
- Polish Academy of Sciences: in schools, face masks should be compulsory for staff and older children
Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, MD, PhD, is also skeptical about starting traditional education at school. “Listening to the ideas for the functioning of schools from September, the resignation of the next ministry would be advisable. In each country that resumed school education, the number of infections has increased. We must be prepared for this, including the periodic closure of schools where there will be contamination, ”he wrote on Twitter.
Concerns about the opening of schools concern not only Poland. As reported on August 18, PAP reported that in Spain, along with the increase in COVID-19 cases, there are more and more parents refusing to send their children to school from September. They say they are concerned about their children being infected with the coronavirus. The Spanish government maintains that classes will start as scheduled in September, on the other hand, teaching at schools depends on the development of the epidemiological situation (PAP). Parents and teachers in Canada also have more concerns.
Meanwhile, there are countries that decided to start school lessons in April and May. There are even schools where schools have remained open all the time or have been closed locally. Has this decision resulted in an increase in the number of infections? Let’s look at the four selected.
In view of the coronavirus epidemic, Sweden has chosen a strategy different from the rest of Europe. Tough restrictions were abandoned and most schools (as well as businesses) were left open. Only students aged 16 and over stayed at home and studied remotely. Primary schools and kindergartens were functioning normally. Social distancing and face masks were recommended but not compulsory. What were the effects of such a policy?
In mid-July, Reuters published a report by the Swedish Public Health Agency and its Finnish counterpart. “The decision to keep schools open during the pandemic has not resulted in a higher infection rate among students than in neighboring Finland, where schools have been temporarily closed” – say the institutions.
- The Swedish media publish the emails of the chief epidemiologist. The topic about seniors awakens the emotions
As for Swedish teachers, a comparison of the incidence of COVID-19 in different occupations did not indicate an increased risk of infection in this occupational group.
In Sweden, children made up 2,1% of the total population. of the total number of COVID-19 cases, in Finland the proportion was around 8,2%.
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/
A separate study by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, an independent medical research institute, and the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children and UNICEF, found that Compared to children in other countries, those in Sweden did better in the pandemic, both in terms of education and mental health.
According to learningpolicyinstitute.org, Taiwan has not decided to close schools all over the country. Such measures were only local in nature and decisions were made on the basis of local infection rates. Health and safety rules were in force in operating institutions.
Schools carried out compulsory temperature checks when entering the school building or boarding school buses. There was no maximum number of students in the classes, however, in the classrooms distance was kept, some schools installed special partitions on the desks, masks were the order of the day. In the event that the class had a confirmed case of infection, all of them were subject to a 14-day quarantine, and if there were two or more cases in the facility – the quarantine would cover the entire school.
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/taiwan/
In the early days of the pandemic, Taiwan was portrayed as a role model in fighting the pandemic. The experience of the SARS epidemic in 2002 certainly contributed to this. In terms of the number of cases, the worst situation was there in the second half of March and April 19. After that, the number of infections dropped sharply. However, the increase is visible at the end of July and the beginning of August.
Denmark was the first country in Europe to choose to reopen schools. Initially, children under the age of 12 returned to traditional education, while older children continued to learn from home. In the next stages of easing the restrictions, older students also returned to schools (the second half of May).
- When are you at the greatest risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus? Scientists have created the COVID-19 risk index
However, precautionary measures have been introduced in connection with the reintroduction of education in schools. The temperature was measured in front of the building, the classroom had two meters distance, in some schools students sat at their desks one at a time, surfaces were regularly disinfected – these are examples of rules in force in a Danish school. Masks were not obligatory.
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/denmark/
In late May, Peter Andersen, an infectious disease epidemiology and prevention physician, told Reuters: – There are no visible negative effects of the reopening of schools.
The expert then noted that the number of infected children aged 1 to 19 has been systematically decreasing since the end of April.
Admittedly, there was a slight increase shortly after the schools reopened, but, as Peter Andersen notes, it had nothing to do with going back to school – too little time had passed. In his opinion, the increases were the result of a greater number of tests carried out.
The situation is somewhat different in Israel. Initially, the authorities managed to contain the spread of the coronavirus and the economy was frozen in May. It was then that it was decided to open schools, and precautionary measures were introduced – the obligation to wear masks and maintain social distance.
At the turn of June and July, the number of infections began to increase rapidly. Cases of COVID-19 have started to appear among students and teachers as well. Several hundred Israeli schools have been closed again.
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/israel/
Some have blamed the inconsistent enforcement of health guidelines in schools. The weather didn’t help either. In May, a heatwave swept through Israel, and students often gave up their masks, not feeling comfortable wearing them.
According to many experts, the easing of restrictions, including the opening of schools, came too early and, as a result, there was a sharp increase in infections. Meanwhile, “the return to more conservative measures was insufficient and delayed,” said Israeli epidemiologist Mohammed Khatib.
You may be interested in:
- What do we know about the death toll from the coronavirus in Poland?
- Antek suffered from COVID-19. He regrets that the system has failed. What went wrong?
- The UK government has removed 1,3 million coronavirus tests from statistics. They have been misreported
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.