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Good Morning Britain’s Dr Hilary Jones reassured parents that children are safe to return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The television doctor, who’s been a hero throughout the crisis with his medical advise, revealed on today’s show that the risk of kids contracting Covid-19 is ‘really very small’.
Joining presenters Adil Ray and Charlotte Hawkins, Dr Hilary pointed out that there’s a bigger risk of pupils catching seasonal flu.
‘I think parents often think the worst-case scenario they want to protect their children above all,’ Dr Hilary began.
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‘There is a huge consensus among all the chief medical officers of all the four nations, so Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, all the scientific advisers are in agreement that it’s much better for children to be going back to school for health reasons – mental health, as well as physical health.
‘The risk of Covid-19 in young children is really very small. Parents tend to think of worst case scenarios.
‘If we look at the worst-case scenario thinking about Covid-19 and fatality rates, the fatality rate in children aged five to 14 is actually lower from Covid-19 than the seasonal flu.
‘I think that is a very telling statistic. We don’t worry about children going to school when there’s flu around, but we’ve got this overriding fear of Covid-19. It’s good to have some apprehension about Covid-19 to take all precautions… but the figure is really important.’
Dr Hilary’s comments come after Boris Johnson issued a plea to parents to send their children back to the classroom when schools reopen next month.
The Prime Minister said the risk of contracting coronavirus in schools is ‘very small’, and that pupils face greater harm by continuing to stay at home.
Many pupils in England have not been to class since March, when schools were closed except to look after vulnerable children and those of keyworkers.
Schools in Scotland reopened earlier this month, while those in Northern Ireland will welcome pupils again on Monday. English and Welsh schools will follow suit in September.
‘I have previously spoken about the moral duty to reopen schools to all pupils safely, and I would like to thank the school staff who have spent the summer months making classrooms Covid-secure in preparation for a full return in September,’ Mr Johnson said.
‘We have always been guided by our scientific and medical experts, and we now know far more about coronavirus than we did earlier this year.
‘As the chief medical officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and wellbeing to be away from school any longer.’
He added: ‘This is why it’s vitally important that we get our children back into the classroom to learn and to be with their friends. Nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school.’
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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