London Schools Are 'Not Hubs of Coronavirus Infection'

A study jointly led by Public Health England, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Office for National Statistics published on August 11, 2021, was carried out across 141 primary and secondary schools within the North West London area in England. 

The Round #6 study results found 'no significant difference between antibody conversion rates, in oral fluids, of primary school pupils and secondary school pupils' during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus Delta variant spike in cases.

Dr. Shamez Ladhani, a Consultant Paediatrician at PHE and study lead, said in a press statement, 'Latest results show that infection and antibody positivity rates of children in school did not exceed those of the community.'

'This is reassuring and confirms that schools are not hubs of infection.'

'Keeping community infection rates low remains critical for keeping children safe, and schools open safely.'

The percentage of primary school pupils on the day of testing tested positive was 0.27%, showing very little change from May 2021.

In secondary schools, 0.42% of students tested positive, representing a significantly lower level than the autumn term 2020. And in secondary schools, 0.27% of staff tested positive for COVID-19, similar levels in March 2021 and significantly lower than the autumn term 2020.

For Round #6, the number of positive test results from primary school staff was too small to present due to statistical disclosure criteria.

Note: The study found that about 92% of staff had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by the end of June 2021.