Webinar ‘COVID-19 and children: Understanding child-derived transmission to design re-schooling recommendations' (The 97th ICREA Colloquium)

Speakers: ICREA Research Professor Quique Bassat, from the Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona (ISGlobal), and Prof. Clara Prats, from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

When: 9th of October, 18:00 h

Where: Zoom

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected very mildly children and teenagers, with -fortunately- very little severe disease and deaths. However, the indirect consequences of the pandemic have been extraordinarily harsh for the youngest ones, having suffered the strictest and longest lockdown, something that has led to educational challenges and in many cases profound mental health consequences. One of the reasons for such an unequal treatment of children lies on the initial belief (no longer valid) that children could act as superspreaders of the virus, as it occurs with other respiratory viruses.

In this talk, Clara Prats (physicist and modeler of infectious diseases) and Quique Bassat (pediatrician and epidemiologist) will dialogue regarding the research that was needed to assess and evaluate transmission to and from children, and the role kids have played during this pandemic. This will also include a debate on whether vaccination of younger children will be needed, in the current epidemiological context, and when we think masks and other preventive measures can be relaxed in schools (and elsewhere).

The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.