There is no biological evidence that the current and new Delta Plus variants of Covid will affect children more disproportionately than adults, the National Institute of Disaster Management has said in its report on the vulnerability of children to the third wave of COVID-19.
The institute has suggested that schools should remain open with health protocols in places where no cases of Covid or only “sporadic cases” have been reported.
Health experts had earlier raised concerns about the Covid third wave affecting children more adversely than adults but recent scientific data suggests otherwise, the report said, citing studies conducted by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics and the Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force.
In areas where cluster transmission has occurred, most schools should remain open and closing schools should be considered only in areas that have seen an increase in clusters that have schools, the NIDM has suggested.
Areas with community transmission of Covid require school closure, the NIDM added.
A serological survey by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), with over 45,000 samples from four states, has suggested there is no statistical difference in prevalence between adults and children, but there is a “cause for worry if not panic” since the children below 18 years are not vaccinated, it said.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has recently approved the Zydus Cadila's three-dose DNA vaccine – ZyCoV-D – which can be given to children of 12 years and above. A second vaccine – Bharat Biotech's Covaxin – is likely to be approved by September.
On school reopening, the report further said, citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), that the decision “should be driven by data and the safety measures“ and it must address the concerns of students, parents, caregivers and teachers.
“A micro district strategy based on the local transmission levels where decisions must be taken at local administration level for opening/ closure of the schools locally,” the NIDM report said.
WHO's proposal for categorisation of districts depending on local levels and patterns of transmission (Photo: NIDM)
NIDMI has suggested awareness programmes, vaccination, identifying the need of Covid-affected children, provisions for parent-child hospital accommodation, among others, as measures to safeguard children from COVID-19, and from a possible third wave.
Governments should provide learning materials and ensure that even children in the remotest parts of the country have access to education. There should be innovative, alternative, blended methods of teaching-learning, through storybooks in vernacular languages, arts and crafts along with life skills learning, which will support children to continue learning at home, the institute has said.
“School is not just for learning but for other support too, such as Mid-Day meals, etc. Hence, holistic measures are needed to be taken. There is a need to have policies to include rural children in online education. Many girls lose out on the teaching-learning process due to existent gender inequality in the society so special provisions regarding this have to be carved out,” it added.
