'It's quite a dangerous formula': Cork virus expert issues warning as schools prepare to reopen
AXA Research Chair of Applied Pathogen Ecology at University College Cork (UCC) Gerry Killeen said that “if we wanted to open schools this September we should have made that a priority way back in June”.
A Cork-based expert in the field of infectious disease has warned that schools are not prepared for reopening from this week.
AXA Research Chair of Applied Pathogen Ecology at University College Cork (UCC) Gerry Killeen said that “if we wanted to open schools this September we should have made that a priority way back in June”.
“Instead, we’ve all had our meaningful summer. The pubs have been open, restaurants have been open, people have been enjoying sun holidays and we had 40,000 people in Croke Park at the weekend and every pub and GAA club in the country are well attended indoors with children and really it’s quite a dangerous formula,” he said.
Speaking to , Professor Killeen said that there has been “so little preparation” ahead of the return to school which is “just an insult to the people of Ireland”.
He said that he does not see what sets Ireland apart from schools in Israel which has the highest vaccine coverage in the world and whose transmission rates in schools, in particular, have driven the surge to a point where the country is openly considering entering another lockdown.
“Delta is almost up there with measles,” he said.
Cork academic Stuart Neilson, who holds a doctorate in mathematical modelling of inherent susceptibility to fatal diseases, said that the HSE’s Epidemiological Review of Schools, which shows a review of Covid-19 data since schools reopened in August 2020, suggests that schools are "magical Covid-free refuges".
The health statistician said that evidence suggests opening all education increases R-number by about 30%.
“I expect students, because they link separate geographical, social and generational strata, to increase transmission when schools and universities resume. It seems to be policy to reach herd immunity, by infection as well as vaccination,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that the aim of all Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures that are in place is to support schools to operate safely and prevent the introduction of Covid-19 and the onward transmission of Covid-19 among the school community.
“These measures protect pupils/students, their parents and school staff. It is acknowledged that this has resulted in some changes to normal school practices and traditions.
“Public Health have stated that the new variants of the disease do not change the infection prevention and control measures required in schools.
“The evidence available from the operation of schools during Covid-19 to date shows that schools are low-risk environments due to the infection prevention and control measures in place. Public Health advice is that compliance with these measures ensure that schools remain low risk for children and staff,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that it is anticipated that the vast majority of teachers and staff will have been offered and accepted vaccines before schools reopen but that those who are not vaccinated are not precluded from safely attending the workplace and will be expected to do so, with the exception of a very small number of employees who may be deemed to be at very high risk by the Occupational Health Service.
Professor Killeen said that “it’s time for angry parents and not as individuals but rather collectively” and said he would certainly encourage parents to talk to each other.
“We all care so much about our kids. I think there’s enough information out there for people to apply their own common sense and for parents groups to discuss it amongst themselves,” he said.
New figures show that 4% of children aged under 18 contracted Covid-19 in Ireland last year.
A HSE study, published on Monday, shows that since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and July 10 2021, a total of 46,470 cases of Covid-19 were reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
The study also found that the proportion of close contacts of a confirmed case that later tested positive for Covid-19 was significantly lower in schools, compared to the general population.
The report’s authors, Dr Abigail Collins and Dr Kevin Kelleher, said that it was “reassuring” that case positivity among close contacts is low, despite high levels of community transmission at various times throughout the school year.
They recommend that schools should reopen in September as a “high priority” and suggest that linking testing results to the ending of restricted movements should be reconsidered in schools.
Between August 2020 and July 2021, 1,737 schools saw testing of identified close contacts take place.
Over 100,000 people were tested as close contacts in school settings.
In primary schools, 2.5% of close contacts tested positive for Covid-19.
In secondary schools, that same figure was 1.8%, while in special education settings the figure stood at 3.4%.
App?
