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A number of mathematical models of the COVID-19 epidemic also support the conjecture that transmission of the virus from children is rare or absent. In places where schools remained open, such as Iceland, there is no evidence they were important places of transmission. One detailed investigation of an infected nine-year-old boy in France did not detect a single secondary case after he had contact with 112 peers and adults at three different schools during his symptomatic period. The currently available literature, though still quite limited, therefore supports the theory that children pass on the infection rarely if at all.

If it is true that children do not contribute importantly to the propagation of the epidemic, it’s likely that school closures have a minimal impact on controlling the virus. But they do clearly have profound effects on the workforce and on the health of children and parents. Among other things, they exacerbate child obesity, household violence and intellectual setbacks for children missing out on educational content. Children with special needs are most severely affected. They are cut off from professional management and institutional resources, while school closure for children living in poor or marginalized households exacerbates existing inequalities.

A number of models of the epidemic support the conjecture that transmission of the virus from children is rare or absent

We must stress that when we refer to children we mean those of elementary-school age and younger. Though teens and adolescents have their own specific vulnerabilities and struggles with the limitations imposed by lockdowns, there is evidence that their role in transmission parallels that of adults. For children in high school and university, going back to school will be therefore be more complicated, potentially requiring greater use of physical distancing, hand hygiene and masks. The same holds true for inevitable social and professional interactions between parents and other adults in all school environments. If schools are open, teachers will commute to work and interact with each other, requiring additional hygiene and distancing measures to ensure their health and safety.