It is unwise to reopen schools at this point in time in Kerala, as several key factors have to be ensured before resuming classes in the physical mode, according to health experts.
An online meeting of public health experts convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday had discussed the possibilities of school reopening.
“Full reopening of schools when there is a regional surge is unthinkable, especially when we are trying our best to protect the State’s health-care system from an overload of sick patients,” said Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, vice chairman, Research Cell, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kerala.
“Teachers and other staff members should be vaccinated before reopening. Classrooms are potential mass spreading zones because many people share the space for several hours, and conversation generates tiny invisible droplets that remain in the air for a long time. We, therefore, have to ensure maximum ventilation in classrooms and canteens, which will decrease droplet load. A simple example is to install an exhaust fan in every toilet, as chances of airborne droplets remaining in a closed space are high,” he said.
Dr. S. Sachidananda Kamath, former national president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) and member of its task force on drafting guidelines for school reopening, warned against reopening schools at a time when the test positivity rate (TPR) was high. “We need to increase vaccination coverage before even deciding on partial reopening. A standard operating procedure should be in place ahead of resuming the physical mode of education. Let us not rush with the decision to reopen schools,” he said.
Dr. M. Narayanan, former president of IAP, Kerala, stressed the need to weigh the psychological and physical health issues among children, who had remained at home over the last one-and-a-half years. “Such cases are going up daily. They include suicidal tendencies, addiction to online games, eye problems, and obesity,” he said. On the roadmap for reopening, Dr. Narayanan said classes could resume only with 50% attendance.
“Crowding has to be avoided in the dining area, toilets, and school buses. The protocol of SMS [social distancing, mask wearing, and sanitisation of hands] has to be implemented strictly,” he said.
