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Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn has written an open letter to parents and school staff, acknowledging their concerns as children return to classrooms in Ireland this week.
He said that while there are no “zero risk options” for reopening schools or any other setting, “international evidence shows us that child-to-child and child-to-adult transmission of Covid-19 in schools is low. common”.
There will be cases of coronavirus among children over the next few days and weeks, as there have been throughout this pandemic, the acting CMO stated.
“But when this happens, our public health teams will respond and engage closely with the school involved and ensure that all necessary steps are taken to protect other students and school personnel.”
Dr. Glynn said he was “well aware” that parents were concerned about the reopening of schools and the associated risk to their children.
“This concern is natural and is to be expected after a six-month period during which we have all had to adapt to the challenges posed by Covid-19.”
He said the decision to reopen the schools was based on guidance developed by international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and scientific evidence on the risk of Covid-19 in schoolchildren and staff. .
“Furthermore, our own experience to date in Ireland, and indeed that reported internationally, shows that for the vast majority of children diagnosed with Covid-19, their symptoms will be mild.”
The importance of schools for children’s overall health and well-being cannot be underestimated, he said.
“Schools play a fundamental role in the social life of children, they are where children are educated, make friends, share interests, learn social skills such as self-confidence and empathy, and participate in sports and cultural activities.
“The risk of Covid-19 has been carefully weighed against the very real harm that sustained school closings can cause.”
Dr. Glynn reminded parents that “it’s okay to send your child to school or child care if they just have a runny nose or sneeze.”
“If you are concerned that your child has symptoms of Covid-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell), please leave him at home until you have spoken with his GP by phone.”
He said parents and guardians had a key role to play in keeping the level of Covid-19 low in the community and “depriving this virus of transmission opportunities.”
The acting CMO said he wanted to use his letter to thank parents for “all they have done to keep their family and our communities safe over the past seven months.”
He also thanked the teachers, principals, and school staff for their hard work in ensuring that the schools are ready to reopen.
“It’s just one more example of the incredible solidarity that has defined the way people across the country have come together to help us overcome this pandemic,” concluded Dr. Glynn.
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