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CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus: Risk of children spreading virus on return to school ‘unclear’

The lead scientist said that the balance of risks for children pointed strongly towards a return to school
The lead scientist said that the balance of risks for children pointed strongly towards a return to school
JACOB KING/PA

Children are about half as likely as adults to catch the coronavirus but the risk of them spreading it when they return to schools remains unclear, ministers have been told.

A review of scientific evidence, made public yesterday amid heated debate over plans to reopen schools in England next month, concluded that children were likely to play a smaller role than adults in proliferating the pandemic.

There is no evidence that teachers are at a greater risk from the virus than other professions, members of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said.

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It comes after a survey for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) of 10,000 people released last week found “no evidence” of differences between age groups in the proportions of those