ICMR Chief Gives Nod To Reopening Primary Schools, Says ‘Kids Handle Infection Better

New Delhi: Dr. Balram Bhargava, chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given a nod to the reopening of primary schools (Classes I to V) saying younger children have “much better ability to handle the virus than adults”.

In fact, he has said that primary schools should be opened before students of senior classes from IX-XII are asked to join back school.

Dr. Bhargava, however, said that before reopening schools, the authorities need to ensure that all staff and teachers must be vaccinated. “Children can handle viral infection better, they have less number of receptors. So once the decision is taken and all the staff vaccinated it would be good to open primary schools first,” he was quoted as saying by News18.

As per the latest Sero survey, as many as 67.6 per cent of India’s population above six years was found to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Earlier, AIIMS director, Dr. Randeep Guleria said, “I am a proponent of opening up schools in a staggered way for districts that are seeing less virus circulation. It (reopening of schools) can be planned for places having positivity rates below 5 per cent.” He added that “keeping schools shut down can affect children adversely.”

Children belonging to economically weaker families or residing in areas with low network connectivity have been facing issues attending online classes. According to reports, it might take up to three years for students to fill the learning gap faced by the closing of schools during the pandemic.