Whether they are English, South African or Brazilian, for several weeks, variants of Covid-19 have been circulating more and more in France and in the rest of Europe.
Their rapid spread worries the authorities, who have taken localized and more restrictive measures to contain them.
While children until now seemed rather spared from the epidemic, the arrival of these variants has pushed the government to tighten restrictions.
Since Monday, category 1 masks are now mandatory for schoolchildren from primary to high school.
Prime Minister Jean Castex also announced the deployment of saliva tests in schools, under the recommendations of the High Authority for Health.
In addition, from kindergarten to high school, an entire class can now be closed if a child, or a member of his family, is infected with one of the two variants.
Today 1,599 classes and 103 schools are therefore closed, the Ministry of National Education said on Friday.
Figures up sharply compared to the previous week.
Is closing schools a solution?
The scientific community remains divided on the subject.
Contacted by France 24, the pediatrician François Vié le Sage believes that this possibility should be implemented "as a last resort".
Because, according to him, "if the epidemic progresses, it is not because of the schools".
This doctor, who coordinates the research group of the scientific commission of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (Afpa), takes for example the Swedish schools, which remained open for several months in 2020. "The virus was circulating a lot in the country. , but schoolchildren and teachers have kept a carrier rate of Covid-19 lower than that of the general population, "says François Vié le Sage, who is also a member of the InfoVac vaccinology expert group.
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Another example: that of the few nurseries that remained open during the first confinement, in order to accommodate the children of caregivers.
"The rate of Covid-19 positivity remained low in these children and their parents were not more infected than the others", assures the doctor.
The thorny issue of school closures
Contacted by France 24, Éric Billy, researcher in immuno-oncology, member of the scientific collective On the side of science, believes that the government should take targeted measures, as in Moselle, which has a higher incidence of the virus than on the rest of the territory, in particular with a progression of the South African variant.
"In this department, the holidays should be moved as soon as possible to avoid the circulation of the virus within the school," he claims.
"Children being contaminants, it is very likely that they contaminate the family bubble after having transmitted the virus to each other at school. They are also in contact with adults present in establishments that they can contaminate."
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The immunologist continues: "With variants, children are certainly more contaminants than they were in the past, because we are seeing an increase in the number of children infected and hospitalized."
Eric Billy wants to be reassuring, however: if the variants are more contagious in the general population, including children, they remain globally less affected than adults, and less contagious.
"Children develop milder forms than adults and we do not see a significant increase in infant mortality. But since the viral load of these variants is higher, children carrying the virus will take a little longer to recover. recover from the disease, like adults, "explains the immunologist, who however points to a lack of data on the effects of Covid-19 variants in children.
No vaccine for children
For all these reasons, France has chosen not to vaccinate children as a priority.
“Today, the vaccination of children is not at all relevant because children are not very sick and not very contagious. There is no particular legitimacy in considering protecting children before all adults are born. 'have been vaccinated, "said Friday Alain Fischer, chairman of the Advisory Board for the vaccine strategy.
Vaccination of children: "Today it is not topical at all. They are not very sick and not very contagious", explains Alain Fischer, president of the Council of orientation of the vaccination strategy
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For his part, François Vié le Sage recalls that other diseases can affect children, especially in winter.
“Since January, we have seen a drop of around 70% to 80% in winter infections compared to previous years.
This decrease proves that the mask and the reinforced rules of hygiene become commonplace and are effective.
But once the epidemic has subsided, these infections may experience a rebound in children, questions the pediatrician.
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