According to a new study from German researchers, children can be as contagious as adults. Despite this, Swedish authorities have always been on the same clear line - schools must be kept open. However, from the WHO it sounds different, they recommend school closures to reduce the spread of infection.

 - We know very little about the spread of infection in this, we do not know who has a big role in this at all. So it is obvious that children are also unclear. However, there is not much to say about it. We do not see any outbreaks around schools, and we now see that when countries start opening up something, they open schools, says Anders Tegnell.  

He says that there is still nothing to indicate that the decision to keep schools open would be decisive for the spread of infection.  

 - The big outbreaks we've seen in the world have always been about adult environments. Restaurants, workplaces, churches and the like. Not in children's environments.

Inspires other countries

The counter argument would be that children have mild symptoms of covid-19.  

 - But we haven't actually seen so many adults who seem to be affected in the school environment. The few times we have in Sweden when we have seen a spread in the schools, then it is quite obvious that colleagues have infected each other, says Anders Tegnell.  

Do you think you inspire other countries to open schools? 

 - Yes, possibly. Because we have had schools open all the time. We also know that closed schools are very problematic. It affects children very much, it especially affects children who are affected in other different ways. Having closed schools has extremely large consequences for public health for children, in a way that one cannot ignore.

Be careful

WHO believes that in countries that have slowly begun to open up society again and then opened preschools as the first step, one should take extra caution, as they do not yet know what the development will look like.

The countries that are the first to take this step toward an open society can help other countries in deciding if that strategy works, according to Richard Pebody, leading epidemiologist at WHO Europe.

- Monitor the situation, evaluate carefully, learn from the results and share with them, that is the message here, says Richard Pebody.