In the absence of a vaccine, states should test more and isolate Covid-19 patients. States should reopen schools so that learning and overall health of children are not affected, said WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan in an interview to TOI. But states should ensure that schools are sanitised and have the ability to maintain social distancing. Excerpts:


Q:
What do you think should be of priority for the state and Centre amidst the pandemic?
A: The state and the Centre should test and isolate more people to stop the spread of the virus. But one of the emerging priorities is how and when to reopen schools. Disruptions to instructional time in the classroom can have a severe impact on a child’s ability to learn. That puts schools as one of the high priorities in the coming days. The impact can be worse when the poor and marginalised children are out of school. They may not have facilities to access online education and many may not return to classrooms if they don’t restart. Being out of school increases the risk of abuse, child marriage, violence and other threats. It disrupts immunization, nutritious meals, and mental health and psychosocial support. All these can impact the overall healthy environment for children’s cognitive development.