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ICMR wants schools reopened with fully vaccinated teachers, support staff

With many states still not decided on reopening schools owing to Covid infection apprehensions, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised parents not to be scared with isolated cases of children getting infected since latest serosurvey has showed that 55 percent children had already contracted coronavirus and possess anti-bodies. In an exclusive interview […]

With many states still not decided on reopening schools owing to Covid infection apprehensions, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised parents not to be scared with isolated cases of children getting infected since latest serosurvey has showed that 55 percent children had already contracted coronavirus and possess anti-bodies.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Guardian, Dr Samiran Panda, Head Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, ICMR, said even children got infected during the second disastrous Covid wave, but a majority were asymptotic and didn’t develop health complications. “There is absolutely no reason to be panic. Several children who have been found infected recently after reopening of schools, how one can be sure that they got virus in schools and not at home? The children have less lungs receptors and better immunity levels,” Dr Panda said as he advocated scientific approach towards reopening of schools.

Underlining the importance of micromanagement in containing the epidemic, Dr Panda said that states must identify areas with low transmission rate of virus and areas where people got infected in large numbers during the second wave as they are unlikely to be hit by the third wave. National and state level management would do more harm than good. A local level scientific approach must be developed where local serosurveys and data related to virus should be collected and then a decision should be made about reopening of schools, he added.

Counting pointers parents and governments must keep in mind before getting children backs to schools, the ICMR scientist said not just teachers, but entire support staff of schools such as peons, bus drivers and guards must be fully vaccinated and an odd-even sort of formula must be engineered to avoid crowding of classrooms. Parents must ask schools about vaccination details of school staff before sending children. They themselves must get jabbed and ensure that people around children are inoculated. Covid appropriate behavior will always be the priority, Dr Panda said, adding that 11-17 years old children have strong immunity, while less than six-year-old children have less chance of getting infected.

Meanwhile, India reported 41,195 new cases in the last 24 hours. As per the data shared by the Union Health Ministry, India’s active caseload now stands at 3,87,987, while active cases now constitute only 1.21% of the country’s total positive cases, which is the lowest since March 2020. India’s Cumulative Covid Vaccination Coverage has exceeded 52.89 crore (52,89,27,844), as per the 7 pm provisional report on Thursday. More than 50 lakh (50,77,491) vaccine doses were administered on Thursday, the data further read.

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