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On Monday, Professor R. Kėvalas’s comment, with his own permission, was posted on the personal Facebook account of Dainoras Lukas, a communication specialist with three children.
“I know what passions are simmering in families with children and in school communities. Divided into two camps: some are glad that the children go back to school and study in the usual way, while others think it is a bad decision as the number of patients increases and the children infect each other and still carry infection at home, urging schools to continue distance learning. . Some schools succumb to this pressure. In this situation, it would be useful to have reliable information on whether children often become sources of infection and whether school closures are justified.
With the consent of Professor Rimantas Kėvalas (Head of the Childhood Disease Clinic of Kaunas Clinics), I share the latest scientific data related to children from the 38th ESPID (European Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases) Congress on COVID-19. writes D.Lukas.
Then he introduces prof. R. Kėvalas some reflections on the situation of COVID-19 and children in Europe.
According to the professor, the vast majority of children with COVID-19 suffer from an asymptomatic or mild form, and only very isolated cases are serious and complicated enough. This is also observed in Lithuania.
In addition, according to R.Kėvalas, children, as the main source of infection, are rare, that is, about 2-3 percent. cases. Children, according to the teacher, are transmitted by adults (this is confirmed by studies in Boston, Vienna). In other words, children are not the main source of infection, as was thought in the spring.
“With the decline in vaccination coverage (conventional vaccines for infants and young children), there is fear of an outbreak of vaccine-controlled diseases. The measles outbreak, which was most recent in Lithuania, is especially feared. This is a danger quite real ”, reads a publication by D. Lukas that conveys the ideas of R. K ideasvalas.
According to R. Kėvalas, children are rarely used as the main source of infection.
According to the teacher, it is really necessary to get vaccinated against the flu this season, and the closure of schools (especially for those classes attended by students under 10-12 years old) is an excessive requirement and irrationally demanding epidemiologically.
“The key message is that COVID-19 is not a direct problem for children, but it does have side effects for children through the risk of an outbreak of vaccine-controlled diseases, an interruption of access to healthcare. The most important problem for children is the interruption of the normal learning process, especially for students under 10-12 years old “, – quoted by Prof. R.Kėvalas.
During October, 31 cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kaunas alone among elementary school students. Another 21 children became ill in the age group up to seven. Therefore, the Kaunas Municipality had made a decision until November 11, that is, until the end of the local quarantine in Kaunas, to continue distance education for children of preschool and primary age.
However, in the two weeks the students were on leave and subsequently attended distance education, that number had tripled, according to the municipality. Therefore, on November 6, it was decided that Kaunas elementary and preschool students would return to schools starting Monday.
According to the municipality, the decision to abandon distance education was made after verifying that the situation in educational institutions had stabilized and the outbreaks of coronavirus among younger students had been controlled.
Students from 5th to 12th grade will continue their studies in Kaunas in a mixed way, alternating between distance and face-to-face education.
During the universal quarantine in the country, kindergartens and primary classes will work, and education in schools according to primary and secondary education programs is carried out remotely or in combination with distance on a daily basis, except in special schools.
According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, a mixed teaching method will be allowed during the quarantine and primary school students will be required to attend at least part of distance learning.
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