In spite of Omicron, Britain’s schools must remain open | Devi Sridhar

Home schooling harms children. And we now have the knowhow and tools to mitigate the risks from Covid

We still don’t know how severe the Omicron wave will be, and debates are raging about closing nightclubs, alcohol curfews and work-from-home guidance. It can sometimes feel like last Christmas all over again. But one decision should be clear. Given the tools and knowledge we have now, school closures should be off the table.

Why were schools closed at all in previous lockdowns? The best approach was to minimise risk, given the limited knowledge about Covid-19 transmission and with no vaccination available to protect against severe health outcomes and death. Concerns about many different groups factored into policy decisions on schools.

Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh

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