South African Paediatric Association says children should go back to school

In the midst of the ongoing confusion about when schools in SA will reopen, following the now two-month-long closure as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the South African Paediatric Association (SAPA) has put out out a statement saying that kids should go back to school.

Also Read: Back-to-school: What you need to know

The statement dated 30 May 2020, which is currently being shared widely on Twitter says: “The South African paediatrics association supports the government’s position that children should go back to school on 1 June 2020.

“There is uncertainty about the future trajectory of Covid-19 in South Africa with more infections and a long duration being predicted. Children biologically handle SARV-CoV 2 better than adults and are less likely to get sick if infected, have milder disease, are unlikely to die from Covid-19, and are probably less infectious than adults.

“Although children are at a higher risk of being infected once at school, this additional risk to themselves and others is outweighed by the benefits of them returning to school.”

Also Read: GUIDE: Tips to Covid-proof your kids for back-to-school

The statement then goes on to detail the evidence that the organisation’s position is based on but does highlight that the supporting evidence is based on the currently available data on the coronavirus. Read more of the statement on @paed_sa

The South African Paediatric Association (SAPA) supports the government’s position that children should return to school on 1 June 2020. Regarding children with chronic conditions and other recommendations, see full statement: https://t.co/XTmPt2Hlqy #strivingforthrivingkids

— South African Paediatric Association (@paed_sa) May 30, 2020

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