Teachers not at higher risk of contracting virus, study claims

The Government has announced that from today families with school-age children will be offered Covid-19 tests
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School staff are not at higher risk of contracting Covid than other adults in their local community, according to new research published today.

Reassuringly, it found that infection rates within schools were slightly lower than the surrounding borough — probably a consequence of symptomatic pupils remaining at home.

The study of more than 12,000 pupils and staff also found that those in secondary schools had a slightly higher infection rate than those in primaries but the difference was not “statistically significant”.

The findings, from the second phase of a study by the Office of National Statistics, Public Health England and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, effectively justifies the decision last Friday not to prioritise teachers in the second stage of the Covid vaccine roll-out.

But it came amid warnings that a Government decision to ask parents to test their children at home before sending them to school could create a “lucky dip” of potentially questionable results.

Today’s ONS research, from 121 schools in 15 higher-prevalence areas including Barking and Dagenham, found that 0.94 per cent of primary pupils and 0.99 per cent of primary staff had covid on the day they were tested.

In secondaries, the figures were 1.22 per cent of pupils and 1.64 per cent of staff. Experts credited schools for infection control measures such as classroom “bubbles”.

The study, also found growing rates of antibodies, indicating who had previously had the virus – and who would have been expected to develop “natural” immunity.

These rates rose from about 12.5 per cent of school staff in the first round of the study in November to 14.6 per cent of primary staff and 15.7 per cent of secondary staff in the second round in December. Antibody results are not yet available for pupils.

Fiona Dawe, of the ONS, said: “We found no evidence of a statistical difference in the infection risk for school staff.”

Dr Shamez Ladhani, consultant paediatrician at PHE and the study’s chief investigator, said: “Staff and students in schools are not at a significantly higher risk of Covid-19 than the general population.”

It came as the head of a major academy chain warned that a new system requiring school staff and parents to conduct covid tests on children was not a “definitive game-changer”.

The Government has announced that from today families with school-age children will be offered Covid-19 tests which they can use at home. Up to 32 million lateral flow tests will be sent by post to parents every week.

This is in addition to testing that will be carried out in secondary schools when they reopen to all pupils next Monday.

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