Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS

Why schools probably aren’t COVID hotspots

Young children are unlikely to spread the virus — but older kids are more at risk, say researchers.
  1. Dyani Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Data gathered worldwide are increasingly suggesting that schools are not hot spots for coronavirus infections. Despite fears, COVID-19 infections did not surge when schools and day-care centres reopened after pandemic lockdowns eased. And when outbreaks do occur, they mostly result in only a small number of people becoming ill.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 587, 17 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-02973-3

References

  1. Buonsenso, D., De Rose, C., Moroni, R. & Valentini, P. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.10.20210328 (2020).

  2. Toon, Y., Kim, K.-R., Park, H., Kim, S. Y. & Kim, Y.-J. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.03.20165589 (2020).

  3. Ismail, S. A., Saliba, C., Lopez Bernal, J. A., Ramsay, M. E. & Ladhani, S. N. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.21.20178574 (2020).

  4. Viner, R. M. et al. JAMA Pediatr. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.4573 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Otte im Kampe, E., Lehfeld, A.-S., Buda, S., Buchholz, U. & Haas, W. Eurosurveillance 25, 2001645 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Leeb, R. T. et al. Morbid. Mortal. Wkly Rep. 69, 1410–1415 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Waterfield, T. et al. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.31.20183095 (2020).

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links