Hyderabad: Pediatricians vary over opening of schools for primary children

Hyderabad: While many are pitching for the opening of schools for primary students, others are not towing with the idea with the fear of children getting contracted with corona virus. However, when The Hans India spoke to a couple of pediatricians in the city, they have a mixed take on the issue.

Dr Swamy Sandeep, a pediatrician from BBR Super Speciality Hospital said, "The government's decision to open schools for primary children is a premature one. Besides Covid, there is a heavy chance spreading of other viruses like swine flu as children sit close to each other and that too in closed rooms."

He further added that there has been an increase in viral fevers ever since the schools opened this October. In 2019, there was a high rate of increase in viral fever cases like dengue, typhoid and others. This has seen a slump in 2020 with Covid-induced lockdowns in place. However in 2021, as the schools opened in October, there has been a rush at pediatric hospitals with rise in cases of viral fevers among children, he said.

"I, as a pediatrician, oppose sending children below 12 years to school as they are not mature enough to protect themselves. It will be very difficult for them to follow all the safety protocols at such a tender age," he said, adding that the government should wait for some more time till all the children get inoculated and then go ahead with the opening of schools.

However, another pediatrician Dr Nanu Som is in favor of government's decision. "Based on studies by Indian Council of Medical Research, about 67 per cent of children have good amounts of antibodies. Since no children were affected during first and second waves, chances are very slim of them contracting the virus in the possible third wave as they do not have receptors to get affected with Covid. Further, with majority of the population vaccinated, children might not get affected though they may become carriers," he said. "Rest of the diseases like dengue, malaria, typhoid has been there for many years and should not make much difference. As a doctor, for pre-primary students attending schools should be optional, but the primary students shouldn't have any problem as they have knowledge about what is safe and what is not," he said, adding that the online classes cannot replace the teacher-student relationship that is seen in physical environment.