[ad_1]
The return of the young students could reignite the epidemic, teachers say. PHOTO: “24 HOURS”
According to pedagogues, current training
will bring a third wave of infection and
compromises the vaccination started
The Informal Association “Teachers for a Safe Education” expresses its unconditional disagreement regarding the resumption of the educational process as of January 4. We believe that the test data at this time does not give a real idea of the number of infected. The resumption of attendance classes for grades 1-4 immediately after the holidays, when there would be a large number of new infections, will lead to a third wave of COVID-19 in Bulgaria. “
With such an open letter, the teachers’ organization asked Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Education Ministers Krassimir Valchev and Health Minister Kostadin Angelov to postpone the return of younger students to class.
Children in grades 1-4 should return to school on January 4.
According to educators, the mass celebration, as well as the new strain of the virus, which is 70% more contagious and affects mainly children and young people, will compromise the vaccination process, which begins in Bulgaria.
“According to the Robert Koch Institute and Dr Velislava Petrova, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge, schools must remain closed during the vaccination period. Opening them would lead to a new epidemic wave, a new virus mutation could appear and thus fail vaccination of the entire population. On December 2, the EC published the EUDC opinion, according to which there must be a period of at least ten days after the holidays to have a true picture of the outlook of the epidemic in the country That is why we insist that classes do not resume in person from January 4, but continue in an electronic environment. Lack of high-level protective equipment for teachers, underdeveloped ventilation systems, as well as the climate Cold, which would prevent even the ventilation of the classrooms, will cause a new epidemic wave, which will be combined with influenza viruses, typical of this time of year. “Scientific data s of the most prestigious medical studies, as well as the Lancet, have shown that children are a decisive factor in the spread of the infection, “the letter from the teachers said. The closure of schools leads to a percentage reduction of the reproductive number R between 38-54%. A significant increase in value was also found upon reopening. Infected children have been shown to have significantly higher levels of viral particles in the airways than adults. “Children are not immune to this infection and their symptoms do not correlate with exposure to the infection,” said Alessio Fasano, director of MGH’s center for immunological and biological research, the educators said.
“We believe that the protection of human lives is the highest value. This is the mission and obligation of all of us. Therefore, in a pandemic situation, as well as with emerging flu viruses, e-learning is the only one. reasonable alternative and should continue ”, concluded his letter from the informal association“ Teachers for a Safe Education ”.(24 hours)
[ad_2]
