English school return spurred Covid in children, but cases fell in adults: Study
Live MintCovid-19 infections in children in England rose in September after schools returned from summer holidays, helping to keep cases high even as there was a fall among adults, a large prevalence study showed on Thursday. "Prevalence was high and increasing in school aged children during September," Paul Elliott, director of the study, told reporters, adding that increased vaccination uptake in school-aged children and adults would help limit transmission. The study, which analysed 100,527 valid swabs, found that the epidemic was growing among those 17 and under, with an estimated reproduction "R" number of 1.18. In daily figures, Britain reported 42,776 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest number since mid-July, but health minister Sajid Javid played down the fluctuations in numbers.