Britain’s top medical officers say children are more likely to be harmed by staying away from school than from being exposed to the coronavirus. England’s chief medical officer on Sunday joined his counterparts in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in saying that children are less likely to contract the virus than adults and have “an exceptionally low risk” of dying from the coronavirus. By contrast, they said studies show that not going to school limits children’s ability to succeed in life and may worsen physical and mental health problems. “Very few, if any, children or teenagers will come to long-term harm from the coroavirus due solely to attending school,” they said in a statement. “This has to be set against a certainty of long-term harm to many children and young people from not attending school.”The statement comes as parents and teachers express concern about reopening schools next month amid fears that social distancing measures won’t keep children safe.-AP

Source: The Standard August 23, 2020 13:07 UTC