COVID-19: School staff not more likely to test positive for coronavirus antibodies, new figures suggest
The COVID data comes ahead of children heading back to school on 8 March as part of lifting the coronavirus lockdown.
Monday 1 March 2021 13:20, UK
There is no evidence of a difference between school staff testing positive for coronavirus antibodies and the wider working-age population, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).聽
The main findings from the Schools Infection Survey come ahead of children going back to classrooms in England next week as part of the first phase of lifting the coronavirus lockdown.
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As of 10 December 2020, it is estimated 14.61% of primary school staff had COVID-19 antibodies, suggesting they had been infected with the illness, while 15.72% of secondary staff were thought to have had them.
That's a small rise on the previous month, where 12.63% of primary teachers and 12.27% of secondary staff were thought to have antibodies.
In total, 14.99% of teachers involved in the study tested positive for antibodies - lower than that of the wider population of working adults, which has been estimated at 18.22%.
That means that teachers appear to be no more at risk than any other part of the working population.
All data in the ONS report is taken from a small sample of schools in England, meaning only estimates can be drawn from the study.
All children in all schools will be expected to head back to class on 8 March, after more than two months of home-learning.
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Families will be expected to test children twice a week using the rapid tests, while testing sites will also open at some school sites.
Teaching unions have criticised the government for not prioritising the vaccinating of teachers ahead of reopening.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said school teams "often occupy confined and unventilated spaces for long periods of time with only rudimentary PPE (personal protective equipment)".
"The fact that it may have added some complexity to rollout is not a good enough reason not to prioritise the needs of committed professionals," he said.
Schools in Scotland and Wales have already begun a phased return to the classroom.
Analysis: Benefits outweigh the risks of getting children back into classrooms
By Laura Bundock, news correspondent
In a week's time, schools will be welcoming pupils back to classrooms.
A momentous day, as the first lockdown measure is lifted. Understandably, it's prompted lots of questions from teachers and families. Particularly, is it the right time to reopen?
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) would suggest it is. And that's for three simple reasons.
Firstly, infection rates are low, and figures show infection rates within schools mirror those within the local community.
Secondly, schools have taken significant steps to mitigate the risks.
And thirdly, teachers are not at a higher risk of infection than other working adults.
As one of the scientists told me: "We are in a much better place than we've ever been."
Of course, once pupils are back, there is a risk the R number will start to rise again. It is practically impossible to stop that happening.
But researchers are confident the benefits of bringing kids back currently outweigh the risks.
What's more, while there is the potential for transmission in schools, the data suggests, the measures schools are taking are working to control this.
And that's really important, because with so many people in one space, it's vital cases can be contained.
Transmission risks aren't just about schools, they're also about parents mixing at drop-off or collection, or when children take public transport to get to school.
The introduction of lateral flow tests for families, pupils and school staff is a new tool which might help.
We are, according to the ONS data, in the best place possible for the safe return of children. But scientists will be monitoring the situation very closely in the coming days and weeks.