Twelve days before the start of the school year, concerns are growing among pediatricians. They believe it is necessary for as many children as possible to be vaccinated against influenza and gastroenteritis and faster tests to detect the coronavirus. 

After the teachers' unions, concern is mounting among pediatricians about the organization of the start of the school year. In an open letter, seven pediatric learned societies advocate including increased vaccination against influenza and gastroenteritis and the use of faster tests to detect the coronavirus.

>> LIVE -  Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Thursday, August 20

Saliva tests rather than PCR tests

The French Pediatric Society is initially worried about the organization of this return. "The virus continued to circulate throughout the summer and there was obviously a resumption of the number of extremely sensitive cases", notes Robert Cohen, pediatrician infectious disease specialist and vice-president of the French Pediatric Society, on Europe 1 Thursday. "We can not think that children will completely escape contamination," he emphasizes.

CORONAVIRUS ESSENTIALS

> Coronavirus: pay attention to the theory of collective immunity

> Coronavirus: three questions on rapid serological tests in pharmacies

> Holidays: should grandparents worry about looking after their grandchildren?

> Coronavirus: in schools, the health protocol will remain the same at the start of the school year

> Coronavirus: the 5 mistakes not to make with your mask

People under 18 represent less than 5% of coronavirus cases and they mostly have mild or asymptomatic forms. Less contaminated and also less contaminating than adults, of course, but that does not mean that they cannot transmit the virus. 

>> READ ALSO -  Coronavirus: a teachers' union requests the postponement of the start of the school year for a week

And to stem the spread of the epidemic at the start of the school year, pediatricians suggest using saliva tests rather than PCR tests. Less sensitive tests but with rapid results "which allow us to decide whether or not we are evicting school or not," supports Robert Cohen. 

"Generalize vaccination against rotavirus in infants"

Massive screening all the more urgent as at the start of the school year, the other winter viral episodes, fever, cough, cold, diarrhea will return. It will therefore be necessary to identify cases of coronavirus more quickly so as not to confuse them with the flu or gastroenteritis. 

>> PODCAST - Coronavirus: find all the answers to your questions here

In their open letter, the pediatricians also recommend "to strengthen the vaccination against influenza" and to "generalize the vaccination against rotavirus of infants", a virus responsible for gastroenteritis but for which the vaccine is not recommended in France . "Every year, the rotavirus is responsible for hundreds of thousands of consultations, tens of thousands of emergency room visits, and a few thousand hospitalizations," notes Robert Cohen.

"We need less anarchic behavior than today"

"This will force us to carry out probably unnecessary PCR tests on children", summarizes the pediatrician. Strengthening vaccination would also make it possible "not to burden" consultations in the office and emergency visits "at a time when the circulation of the coronavirus is likely to be intense again". 

>> Find the morning show of the day in replay and podcast here

Finally, they are asking for clear rules when a case of Covid is reported in a school. "We need less anarchic behavior than today", supports Robert Cohen. "The recovery is fundamental for children," says a pediatrician who signed. "We should not end up with entire school closures for a single case."