Rise in COVID-19 cases forces many Delhi-NCR schools to shut but experts allay fears

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People with schoolgoing kids are on tenterhooks again after a number of students tested positive for COVID in a few National Capital Region schools, forcing the institutions to shut down temporarily.

But public health experts and epidemiologists say that unless the rising instances of COVID-19 cases result in growing hospitalisation numbers or severe disease there should be little to worry about. The cases may only be a sign that COVID-19 is reaching an endemic phase in the country, they add.

Over the last two days, at least three schools in Ghaziabad and Noida, satellite towns of Delhi, have announced a complete halt in physical classes switching to online teaching after many students and some teachers tested positive for the coronavirus.

In one of the schools in Ghaziabad, 13 cases of COVID-19, including students as well as teachers, were reported following which the school announced a closure for a week.

Children in several other schools in the region, which had resumed offline classes after nearly two years, are reporting sick with COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cold and cough, sending parents into panic mode.

In a few schools, guardians have also started building pressure on schools to switch to hybrid or online mode of education till young children under 12 are eligible to receive shots against COVID-19.

As of now, only Indians aged 12 years and above are allowed to receive shots against the coronavirus.

‘Vaccines do not prevent infection’

Epidemiologist Dr Samiran Panda, Chief Scientist with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), told Moneycontrol that he was aware that a few states, such as Haryana and Maharashtra, as well as Delhi, were reporting a rise in COVID-19 cases.

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“But the rise in cases should be seen in the context of the number of tests being carried out,” he stressed.

On demands from the public that COVID-19 vaccines be offered to younger children, he said that existing vaccines do not prevent infection.

“Our experience suggests that the majority of children, even when they contract COVID-19, only have mild disease,” he said. “Also, vaccines do not prevent infection itself and are found to be effective only against hospitalisation and death — which is not a concern for most of the kids anyway,” he said.

“My advice to schools and parents would be to stick to COVID-19-appropriate behaviour, mainly masking as far as possible, and that should be the way forward,” he added.

COVID-19 now endemic

Public health researcher Dr Oommen John said that as COVID-19 is now endemic, or found regularly in some people or a certain geography, a spurt in cases on some occasions is likely and should not form the basis for schools being shut if some students turn symptomatic.

“Evidence from across the globe indicates that children have a mild form of the illness, so there is no rationale for schools to be closed on account of a few cases,” he said, adding that public health precautions, including wearing masks when in close contact with others, would be an effective strategy to keep children and others protected.

Epidemiologist Dr Naman Shah, too, said that unless the rise in cases results in an increase in hospitalisation, there is no reason to worry.

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“Our experience with past variants suggests that prior immunity, through vaccination or infection, largely protects against severe disease. In this endemic phase that is what matters,” he said.

Dr Pragya Yadav, a senior scientist with the National Institute of Virology-ICMR, said that people should have more patience in dealing with the virus. “Our responsibilities are bigger now that schools have started,” she stressed.