Children testing Covid positive, but no need to shut down schools: Expert

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], April 16 : Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Dr Smita Malhotra on Friday said that there is no need to shut schools because teachers and students are testing COVID-19 positive, and emphasised on taking precautionary measures instead.
"There is no need at all for shutting down schools because schooling is a very important aspect of growth for children and not just educational growth, growth on other parameters like emotional, psychological, even physical aspects. So definitely, as of now, there is no indication for closure of schools," the Senior Consultant said.
"Standard precautions which are there for others; frequent hand washing and good ventilation should be ensured in schools. Ensure proper screening. If you think any child has even minor symptoms, then ask that child to stay at home for a few days or get tested," she added.
Dr Malhotra also believes that during growing age, children get exposed to various types of viruses and "whenever there is a changing season or there is a season for those particular viruses, they tend to catch viral infections."
The only thing which is a matter of concern is that COVID should not spread rapidly, so much so that it overwhelms the system, she added.
"There have been some reports of children getting COVID after the reopening of schools, but they are not having serious illnesses. They have mild flu-like symptoms, and cases have marginally increased after the schools reopened," she said.
Notably, Delhi has recorded 366 Covid cases in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of nearly four per cent (3.95 per cent). The national capital has been witnessing a rise in coronavirus cases over the last few days.