Read | Coronavirus Can Have Long-Term Effects On Unvaccinated Kids, Warns Global Expert

The rate of hospital admissions for Covid positive children is only 1 per cent right now across India. With schools reopening, it is estimated that the rate of infection can go up by 100 per cent. For example, if the number of cases is 1 lakh with schools closed, it will increase to 2-3 lakh once they reopen. So even if the denominator is 1 per cent, the number of children getting admitted will see a sharp increase.

This will add to the burden on healthcare infrastructure because even if children are not admitted to hospitals, they can become super spreaders. It will make elders living with co-morbidities more susceptible to infections. There are children too with co-morbidities such as asthma and heart conditions and they might get severely infected.

If an adult gets a mild infection, she can isolate herself and take medications. However, with children, parents are more likely to visit doctors. This adds another layer of burden as paediatricians are fewer in number. Doctor clinics are likely to be overcrowded which can become hubs of infection. Moreover, parents will be additionally stressed with the caregiving and might need to take days off work. Thus, the reopening of schools will stress households further.

So we recommend that schools can reopen when the cases go on a decline, not when they are plateauing. They can begin classes with the 15-18 age group who would be vaccinated by that time and then call the younger children.

The writer, a consultant paediatrician, is the medical director of Ankura Hospital for Women and Children in Hyderabad.

(As told to Kakoli Mukherjee)

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