Concern surrounding return to school but third-level optimistic about on-campus learning

Professor Tomás Ryan says clear modelling of how we can anticipate the Delta variant will spread in schools if rising case numbers continue. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

There are calls for clear modelling on how the reopening of schools will impact on the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant.

Tomás Ryan, Associate Professor in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, says the reopening of schools next month could cause a further rise in case numbers.

Prof Ryan says clear modelling of how we can anticipate the Delta variant will spread in schools if rising case numbers continue.

"We need better mitigation measures in place to make sure ventilation standards are enforced in classrooms," he said.

"We need very clear guidelines for the isolation of students and potentially whole classrooms if there is an outbreak."

The steady increase of Covid-19 cases has become a worry ahead of schools reopening next month.

Yesterday, the Department of Health reported a further 1,522 new cases of the virus.

Over the past two weeks, almost 20,000 cases have been reported as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to spread.

Prof Ryan says case numbers could surge if schools reopen while the virus is at a high level.

"The risk to an individual child is low but if a lot of children get infected then the risk to the population of children is high for both hospitalisation and Long Covid.

"This is a disease that spreads like wildfire especially the Delta variant."

He said that in the current situation, the virus is particularly able to surge in the population of young people.

While there are concerns surrounding younger children returning to school, the University of Limerick is optimistic that students will be able to have an on-campus experience this year after being mainly online through the majority of the pandemic.

UL says on-site testing will be available to staff and students while public health measures will be in place.

President of the UL Professor Kerstin Mey says the uptake of vaccinations among young people is positive.

"The young people coming to university and colleges will have been vaccinated and that hopefully allows us - together with on-site testing - to manage the pandemic," said Prof Mey.