Pune: IAP to consider expert opinion before recommending reopening of schools

“Fortunately, very few children required hospitalization. However during the second wave many in the 20-45 age group were affected – and hence it is increasingly being estimated that less than 20 years of age may get affected in the third wave,” Dr Penurkar, who is a consulting physician and Managing Director of Sanjeevan Hospital, said.

Reopening of schools is a major decision and there are various factors that will have to be considered.

“What is the status of the pandemic at that point in time and whether the vaccine is likely to be available any time soon as Pfizer vaccine has been made available in Western countries for children. These are two important considerations which will decide whether schools can be reopened , Dr Natu said, adding it was too early to predict the same.

At IAP, Dr Natu said that a covid task force is being set up at district and city levels. There is a state-level covid task force set up in Mumbai and we will have a meeting with the Mayor and municipal corporation authorities on this issue.

“The central IAP cannot give guidelines as the pandemic is playing out differently in different areas of the country. In some states it is peaking while in others it has plateaued. So we cannot have a uniform guideline and will have to be region specific and hence many factors have to be considered before we can recommend whether schools can reopen ,” he said.

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