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‘Bio-bubble and contingency plans for schools essential’
Now that schools and tuition classes are opening their doors to children, Consultant Microbiologist Dr. Mahen Kothalawala attached to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) jogs the memory of people about the preventive health measures that need to be taken to safeguard children from COVID-19.
“If a class gets crowded, super-spreading can take place not only within the school but also within homes when the children go back. As such, vigilance is of paramount importance, while also having a contingency plan in place if there are suspicions of a child being infected for prompt isolation and transport back home,” he says.
Some of the other measures Dr. Kothalawala suggests are:
n There should be a ‘functional’ bio-bubble for schoolchildren ensuring that they go directly from home to school and vice versa. This is while teachers should be trained and armed on how to handle an ill-child by isolating him/her and then safely sending the child back home.
n Good ventilation is a must in all classes and the doors and windows should be kept wide open. Whenever possible, classes should be held outdoors.
n There should be two timetables – one for wet days when it rains and one for dry days when the sun is out.
n Interactions between different classes should be avoided.
n Bathroom breaks should be monitored so that children do not gather in such areas but use the bathroom and leave.
n There should be direct channels of communication among teachers and parents to prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
n All children should be advised to wear a similar type of face mask as otherwise there could be a differentiation between the rich and poor, causing stress for some. Face masks should be disposed of properly.
n There is no necessity to disinfect books and bags after school.
He is a strong believer that children should not be sprayed with chemicals as a form of disinfection. They also need not be fully clothed from head to toe as it would lead to profuse sweating which would hinder mask wearing. Children should be advised to follow hand hygiene scrupulously.
Crowded public transport being a possible source of infection, Dr. Kothalawala says that there is a need to limit the travel time if a child is using public transport. If possible, the child should be taken to school in a personal vehicle. If children are using school vans, the air-conditioning should be switched off and the windows opened to allow for good ventilation.
“Children should be told the importance of wearing the face mask in such circumstances and advised against eating, talking or singing within such a van as then masks would be removed, leading to a spread of the virus,” he said.
Meanwhile, giving a word of advice to parents, he says that if anyone (either the child or anyone else) in the home is having fever, cough or cold, the child should not be sent to school. It is also essential for parents to check whether the child is ill (having fever, cough, cold or even symptoms such as diarrhoea), every single day before sending him/her to school.
If there is the slightest suspicion that the child is ill, keep him/her at home and get medical advice, adds Dr. Kothalawala.
Cautioning that the next COVID-19 outbreak could be among unvaccinated children, this Microbiologist underscores the ‘multi-layered’ approach to the pandemic as being essential. Health precautions (face mask wearing, social distancing, hand hygiene as well as avoiding enclosed and crowded spaces) and vaccination are the only way out.
The vaccination data and protocols in other countries should be followed by Sri Lanka to ensure that whoever is eligible for vaccination (including children) is given the jab when the time comes, he adds.