QLD outbreak shows children are potentially more infectious

There were 13 new locally acquired cases yesterday and nine cases announced on Sunday, all linked to a “rapidly escalating” cluster around Brisbane schools. Queensland’s snap lockdown may need to last a week to defeat the more infectious Delta variant of COVID-19, according to a leading researcher.

/ Griffith University researcher Nigel McMillan

‘Go early, go hard’ says scientist

Griffith University researcher Nigel McMillan warned that more cases were likely, especially as the schoolchildren had been infectious for several days. He said south-east Queensland was starting to resemble the recent Victorian situation and a longer lockdown was required. He added the initial COVID-19 variant had an infection rate of one person infecting two people. However, Queensland was now dealing with a new situation with the Delta strain among school students.

He said the latest data on the Delta variant from the US Centers for Disease Control suggest that one person could infect about eight people.

“It’s three to four times more infectious, It’s more infections spreading, [which] just means more kids get it and spread it around.”

 

Masks mandatory for students and teachers

Saturday’s lockdown announcement was accompanied by the requirement for mandatory masks for all school staff and students over 12 years old. It is the first time Queensland Health has introduced a mandatory mask-wearing policy for students.

Professor McMillan said it was difficult to know exactly how quickly the virus would spread in schools as there was no good research about Delta and children. While he said masks would help — as would playing outdoors — there were issues like school air-conditioning systems and close contact to consider.

“The older schools don’t have air-conditioning but those that do, don’t have HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters,” he said. He also stressed that while children were supposedly less likely to experience symptoms of the virus, they could still be vulnerable.