‘Reopen schools but wait till peak passes’

Pediatricians call for campus surveillance, awareness on post-COVID complications

The government’s decision to reopen schools in Telangana from February 1 has once again sparked a debate on the safety of children as the pediatric caseload of COVID is also high. Pediatricians at prominent government and private hospitals opine that schools must definitely be opened, but say it is advisable to wait for a couple more weeks or till the peak shows definite signs of declining.

“It is better to reopen schools when the peak starts to pass. We are yet to note a dip in daily cases in Telangana. Kids could contract the infection, fall sick and spread it to others,” said a well-known pediatrician on the condition of anonymity.

A few others say the cognitive development of children is also important and that it could be impacted if schools are closed for a prolonged time period. However, one cannot ignore the importance of generating awareness about possible post-COVID complications in children, encouraging COVID surveillance in schools and the need to gather robust data on symptoms and hospitalisations, they suggest.