I know I'm not an epi/Infectious Diseases expert but many who are (like @apsmunro) have been putting out helpful summaries on what the research is saying. I wrote a policy brief on it RE schooling in SA "Who should go back to school first?" https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf A thread 1/n

(1) ARE KIDS LESS SUSCEPTIBLE THAN ADULTS TO CATCHING COVID-19? Short answer: yes. Take home from Shenzen, Japan, Guangzhou, Wuhan & Hunan studies: "Children are less likely to acquire the infection than adults, by a significant amount" 2/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(2) DO KIDS DIE OR GET VERY ILL FROM COVID-19? Short answer: almost never. Take home from @apsmunro “Severe COVID-19 is as rare as many other serious infection syndromes in children that do not cause schools to be closed” (Munro & Faust: 2020, p.2). 3/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(3) WHAT ABOUT IN SOUTH AFRICA SPECIFICALLY? Short answer: SA has same trend as others. “Of the 3,144 positive cases of COVID-19 in South Africa as at 19 April 2020, only 0,3% were aged 0-10... & there were no deaths for those <20yrs" 4/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(4) DO SCHOOL CLOSURES HELP? Short answer: Maybe but MUCH less than social distancing of adults. "School closures alone would prevent only 2–4% of deaths, much less than other social distancing interventions." 5/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(5) ARE KIDS CONTINUING TO LEARN AT HOME DURING LOCKDOWN IN SA? Short answer: "For the poorest 80% of learners in South Africa there is virtually no curricular learning that is taking place during lockdown" NB: Only 10% of SA HH's have PC+internet :-/ 6/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(6) WHY SHOULD THE YOUNGEST (<10yrs) GO BACK FIRST? Short answer:(1) lowest risk of infection & transmission, (2) highest childcare burden preventing parents going back to work, (3) least able to follow self-directed learning @ home (4) school feeding 7/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(7) A NICE QUOTE I LIKE :) "Young children being “locked-up” at home when there are few health benefits to themselves or society is bad for the well-being children, bad for parents and bad for the economy" 8/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(8) CONCLUSION: "Kids should go back to school incrementally & the youngest (<10yrs) should go back first. Young kids are least infectious in terms of COVID-19 & they are also the most costly ito child-care & economy. 9/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf

(9) CAVEAT: It would be great if #epitwitter and SA paediatric epi/ID people could weigh in on this as well. I have circulated and received comment from a few folks already (supportive of it) but comment/critique most welcome!! real n/n https://nicspaull.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/spaull-2020-schooling-policy-brief-10-may-2020.pdf