Pupils should stay home for now
Health sociologist and senior lecturer at Massey
Should kids with underlying health issues go back to school on Monday? My answer is no, wait another week at least. The current advice given by the Education Ministry makes no mention of children with underlying health conditions, including children with disabilities.
Indeed, the undertone of the advice makes it clear that all children should attend: ‘‘The only exceptions are children or young people who are sick, have any Covid-19 symptoms, are in isolation, or are awaiting the result of a test.’’
I wrote to Education Minister Chris Hipkins last month asking how officials intend to manage the risk posed to vulnerable children returning to school. He replied explaining they would follow the advice of the Heath Ministry. However, the Education Ministry has not given further guidance on this matter.
Luckily for us, the Health Ministry released a useful white paper earlier this month considering Covid-19 infection in children. It says: ‘‘There are also important knowledge gaps regarding the co-morbidities and vulnerabilities (including disability and prematurity) that may increase the risk of Covid-19 severity in children.’’
I have been closely following the paediatric literature on Covid-19 regarding children with disability and co-morbidities and I agree there is not enough data to draw conclusions regarding the risk to children with underlying health conditions.
At minimum, the Education Ministry should be taking into account that this knowledge gap is a real thing, and we don’t actually know much about the effects of this virus.
The literature grows every day though and a few days ago JAMA Paediatrics published a paper that looked at Covid-19-related admissions to paediatric intensive care units in the United States. Of the 48 admissions, 83 per cent had underlying health conditions.
This is still only a tiny percentage of all the kids in the train wreck that is the US who have had the Covid-19 infection, but it supports the growing recognition that it is children with underlying health conditions who are at most risk.
So what about school?
I support reopening schools on Monday. Our Covid-19 cases are miniscule and well understood. There is every chance that we can jump into level 2 and get on with it.
What we will know though by May 25, or possibly a few days later, is whether there are undiagnosed community cases.
Like you, we’ve had enough of homeschooling and home working.
But we are going to do another week and if the cases stay low kids like my son, with underlying health conditions, and his sister, can go back on May 25. That is what I think the Education Ministry should be promoting.