COVID-19 | These states are reopening schools in February: Check list here

Most states have decided to reopen schools for higher classes. Authorities will have to ensure strict COVID-19 protocols, such as maintaining social distancing inside classrooms and staff rooms, use of face masks, sanitisers, etc.

Moneycontrol News

February 08, 2021 / 20:12 IST

Several schools, colleges, and other educational institutions that had been shut across India since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, are set to reopen in February 2021, in view of the lowering daily COVID-19 tally of the country.

Most states have decided to reopen schools for higher classes, i.e., classes 9 to 12, with the exception of a few that will be reopening schools for lower classes (classes 5 to 8) also. While classes will resume in these states soon, authorities will have to ensure strict COVID-19 protocols, such as maintaining social distancing inside classrooms and staff rooms, use of face masks, sanitisers, etc.

Here’s a list of states that are reopening schools from February 2021:

Maharashtra: In Maharashtra’s Pune, schools will reopen for classes 5 to 8 from February 1. In Thane district too, students of classes 5 to 8 have been allowed to take regular classes in school from January 27.

Karnataka: Schools reopened, and full-day classes resumed for students of classes 9, 10, and pre-university from February 1.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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