RE-OPENING schools to all children will not case a second coronavirus wave, new research has suggested.
Some pupils in reception, years one and six have returned to their classrooms this week despite fears it was still to soon.
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Some pupils returned to schools this week[/caption]
Some experts said the reproduction ‘R’ rate was still too high to ease lockdown measures.
Last week, Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, said the current R rate across the UK is between 0.7-0.9.
If the R rate creeps above one, the Government could potentially bringing back some lockdown restrictions.
However, modelling from the University of Warwick suggests the partial lifting of lockdown will not put the ‘R’ number above one.
The study also shows that allowing school pupils to return will not cause a second wave, but researchers warn the number should be closely monitored.
The authors say the Government should bring back pupils gradually it see how schools will interact as other lockdown measures start getting lifted.
Dr Ed Hill, of the Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research at Warwick told The Daily Telegraph: “Our model indicates that reopening schools alone is unlikely to push ‘R’ above one.
“But other changes in the wider population can exacerbate these effects, so any reopening policy should be implemented gradually to mitigate risk.”
Classroom sizes are currently capped at 15 to help ensure social distancing as researchers used detailed mathematical models to look at a wide range of reopening scenarios.
Professor Matt Keeling, the director of Sbider, said: “Our work indicates that the current policy of reception, Year One and Year Six children returning to school is likely to result in a small increase in the reproduction number. In isolation, this is unlikely to push ‘R’ above one.”
Author Louise Dyson added: “We predict that the return of secondary school children to the classroom will result in greater mixing between children than if only primary school children return.
“However, it is important to note that any increase in mixing will likely lead to some increase in Covid-19 cases, even if the value of ‘R’ remains below one.”
The research has not been peer reviewed, but is published on the university’s website.
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On Monday, some pupils returned to school and most are expected to go back by the end of the month.
Schools have introduced a variety of measures across the board to keep their students safe from coronavirus – with a number of students seen wearing face masks as they headed back into class while others had their temperatures checked before heading inside.
Other schools have seen students needing to regularly wash their hands and time it.
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