Promoting Factfulness in the Covid-19 pandemic-related policymaking: a
map to understanding school closures
Abstract
Introduction: In the era of data-driven decision-making, an unacceptable
haziness and inconsistency surrounds the yearlong scientific and public
debate on the school closure policy in the COVID-19 pandemic mitigation
efforts. Aim: The present literature review stems out of the need for a
clear scaffold collecting in one place all current evidence, as well as
helping organizing incoming future evidence, concerning both the role of
schools in driving the Sars-CoV-2 community spread and the
cost-effectiveness of school closure in containing such spread. Methods:
References for this review were initially identified through searches of
PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library for articles published from March,
2020, to March, 2021 by use of the terms “Schools” “COVID-19”
“pandemic” “clusters” “outbreak” “seroprevalence”. Further
search was undertaken through Google Scholar and ResearchGate, and
finally through Google. Results: School closure at times of high
background prevalence of COVID-19 should not be considered a measure
implemented to protect the health of children. Children had lower
secondary attack rates than adults and that they infrequently
represented the index case. One year of pandemic has been sufficient for
the emergence of one indication of concern: a potentially increased
burden of paediatric mental health disorders. Conclusions: A fact-based
understanding of what is currently known on such a consequential policy
is required to provide a basis of evidence for an advocacy of either
school closure or school opening at times of high intensity community
transmission of Sars-CoV-2.