EXCERPTED

Schools in Ireland are not a high-risk setting for the transmission of coronavirus, and reopening classrooms should be considered as an early measure in lifting restrictions, according to the HSE’s public health experts.

In a new study on school-related cases, experts examined whether there was any evidence of transmission of the virus prior to the closure of schools on March 12th.

At the time there were three confirmed cases of coronavirus involving three students, and a further three among adults in school settings.

The research found there was no confirmed transmission of the virus from these six cases to a total of 1,025 child and adult contacts in primary and secondary schools.

The finding are contained in a research paper published on Thursday in Eurosurveillance, a journal on infectious disease control. The five authors are listed as being members of the HSE’s public health medicine section.

In its conclusion, the authors say the findings echo the experience of other countries where children have not emerged as considerable drivers of Covid-19 transmission.