• Low-income countries face a very different set of circumstances to high-income countries when it comes to reopening schools after lockdown.
• In developing countries, adults and the elderly generally have more contact with children than those in advanced economies.
• A new study predicts that delaying school openings could save lives.

According to the latest UNESCO figures, over 100 countries are currently implementing nationwide school closures due to COVID-19, affecting over 60% of the world’s enrolled students. The topic of reopening primary and secondary schools has been heavily politicised in many countries with parents, teachers, and politicians sometimes at odds over when to reopen. Policy decisions are even more challenging given the lack of evidence, especially from developing countries, on how susceptible children are to contracting COVID-19 and transmitting the virus to adults and how to make schools safe enough for students to return.

Click here to read the full World Economic Forum’s article.