German experts: Schools and day care centers should be reopened

The following is a statement released by the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DKGH), the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI), the German Academy for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (DAKJ), the Society for Hygiene, Environmental Medicine and Preventive Medicine (GHIP), and the professional association of pediatric and adolescent doctors in Germany. 

The statement offers several compelling pieces of evidence on why schools and daycares should be kept open. Using information collected from various countries, the undersigned experts offer the following reasons for their recommendation: (1) the infection rate and severity of SARS-COV-2 infection among children is low, (2) child transmission is low, hence school closures have little effect in controlling the spread of the virus, and (3) symptoms of COVID-19 among children are similar to other hyperinflammatory symptoms, but these cases are very rare. 

The statement adds that transmission of COVID-19 to children typically comes from an adult. Hence, they recommend that even when one child tests positive for the coronavirus, the school or daycare center should not be shut down immediately. Instead, they recommend a detailed analysis of the infection chain. The statement also offers several suggestions on the steps a school must do to ensure the safety of its students. 

The original document is in German and has been translated using DeepL Translate. 

Editor’s Note: The following document offers a synthesis of several researches we have cited on this website about the re-opening of schools. 

Keeping our children at home do not benefit them [see 60+ Doctors And Educators Release Statement On The Situation Of Children And Adolescents During The 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic]. They need to be with their peers and be allowed to continue their education. Yes, it can be terrifying to send out our children with the coronavirus still around us, but data shows us that there are even greater dangers that await our children – far greater than the threat of COVID-19. At least in the case of the coronavirus, we know the kind of support children need in order for their bodies to naturally fight the infection. 

We must realize that the human body is intelligent, it knows what must be done when attacked by viruses and other diseases. As parents, we must learn to overcome our fears because our science and the data we have from the ground show that this is a challenge that our children will be able to overcome.