“No reproach to the educators!” Corona study in daycare centers provides astonishing findings - and new options

Adults get vaccinated, schoolchildren get tested - and daycare children?

Stay at home because of Corona.

A study in Würzburg examined how this can change.

Würzburg - Many families have been suffering from the consequences of the corona pandemic for months.

Schools are closed, daycare centers are only allowed to offer emergency care.

While in schools with an incidence below 100, a visit is only possible with a previously carried out corona self-test, daycare centers then open largely unprotected.

A study by the University of Würzburg has now examined the extent to which tests are also possible in kindergartens and crèches.

Nine kindergartens in the city of Würzburg took part, a total of around 600 preschool-age children and educators - voluntarily, of course.

The study ran for about six months from autumn 2020.

Test study in Würzburg daycare centers: Tests were carried out in the nose and by mouth rinsing

Of the asked parents with their children, 60 percent took part in the study. They were divided into different study groups. In one group, the children were regularly tested for the new coronavirus, including asymptomatic tests. In another group, children were only tested for symptoms or when parents asked. In addition, some children were examined with a mouthwash test and others with a nasal swab. In all groups, the tests were “mixed together”, that is, they were examined by laboratories in a pooling process.

On Monday, the study directors Prof. Johannes Liese and Prof. Oliver Kurzai presented the results at a press conference.

They highlighted three findings: "Continuous testing is feasible," Kurzai announced as the first important point.

Even over the longer period of six months, the children and parents were ready to carry out the tests.

But: In the so-called non-invasive tests, i.e. the mouthwash tests, in which the children rinse their mouths with a tablespoon of water and then spit it out into a tube, the willingness to participate was highest and most persistent.

Daycare test study in Würzburg: Children very rarely infected

The second finding: from more than 5,000 investigations, only twelve so-called "events" were filtered out.

This means that educators or children were infected.

Of these twelve, only one event led to a major outbreak in the facility - and that at an early stage of the pandemic, when far-reaching hygiene concepts had not yet been introduced.

Caregivers were infected disproportionately more often.

"This is not a reproach to the educators," said Kurzai.

This is possibly due to the more contacts they have in contrast to the children.

“Or the higher respiratory volume.” From this knowledge it can also be deduced that it was very right to give kindergarten teachers priority vaccination.

Tests at day care centers: Asymptomatic children should be tested

As a third result, Kurzai formulated that it makes sense to test asymptomatic children. It is true that more infected children have been filtered out in children with symptoms. But since they were already in the facility, it was too late. "If we want to prevent infections in day-care centers, we have to test asymptomatic ones on a regular basis."

The study entered the second phase on Monday.

Investigate the participating children and carers for a further three months in order to gain further knowledge or to expand on existing ones.

According to Liese, head of the study, the aim is to develop a test concept for kindergartens in the fall, which can then be used throughout Bavaria.

"Children will remain in focus," says Liese, "also because of the lack of vaccines for them." The only way to open daycare centers and keep them open is therefore: "Test regularly!"

Openings in daycare centers urgently needed: families overburdened

Dr.

Hülya Düber from the social department of the city of Würzburg: The need of the families continues to grow, many are extremely stressed by the daycare closings, also and especially the children.

“We currently have four to six weeks waiting times at counseling centers for parenting questions.” There is still no talk of child welfare at risk.

This is particularly noticeable in daycare centers - as long as they are open.

An interview with the psychoanalyst Christa Schmidt shows what Corona means for families.

She says: We have to learn to hug again first.

By the way: The most important stories from the Free State are now also available in our brand new, regular Bayern newsletter.